Chronicles of the FAll: Flying Nonsense
by midori Haru
Summary: Not all problems can be solved in one day. For the rest of them there is this, the story of after.
1. Round and Round

Huzzah! Here we are in the final "book" of Chronicles. I never thought it would end, but it finally did. Which is not to say it was a chore to write, it wasn't. But I just hate stories that go on and on for no reason. Likewise I hate stories that have a great build up, promise an awesome climax in the story then just end. Abruptly. Hence why I didn't do that.

While I may have already resolved something, there are other things that simply need attending to. Maybe you've forgotten all the extra pieces I've left floating around, but I haven't. (hardly likely, I seem to have the memory of an elephant when it comes to this fic.) But if you have the memory of a goldfish, like at least one of my friends claims, I encourage you to go back and look for the clues. I realize that It's a lot of material to go through, so if you feel like being lazy, ask me questions. I know where the clues are buried.

Buckle up and take a deep breath, you're in for a world of surprises! And only one is coming without any forewarning. And no, it's not THAT one! seriously people. Only one surprise I left no clue of to warn you. All the rest have clues, you just have to find the pieces.

Rumiko Takahashi alluded to most her surprises, but not all!

So read on, happy reader, the journey may be ending soon, but IT'S NOT OVER YET!!!

**Round and Round**

One can measure the desire a person holds for something in the efforts made to achieve it, to claim it, to find it. It is also just as easy to measure the character of the same person by the same means. How they go about the achieving, the finding and the claiming gives a view into the mindset and thought processes as well.

The fact that Sesshoumaru had wanted to approach Aki and catch her up the moment she stepped out of the barrier that kept her from him is no surprise. He hurt, in more than one way and all he wanted was the comforting warmth of the very woman he was hurt for.

But Sesshoumaru was held back by his own weakened condition and the mysterious interference of the wind user Aki had been so kind to. He didn't understand Kagura's reasoning for she gave no explanation but he suspected she had reason to hold him back from Aki as she had in the past when she'd done something similar so he had allowed it. The wind youkai might know something more about what was done to Aki to make her disappear than he did. It was usually wiser to wait and study a situation before entering it anyway.

Not that it would have mattered. Sesshoumaru was unusually shaky on his feet for reasons he was seriously ignoring to pay attention to Aki.

And with good reason, Aki was acting strangely. He had not missed her stiffening when Inuyasha seemed to close in on her fingers while sniffing at the bonsai tree in her hand. She had avoided contact with Kagome when handing off the gnarled plant. And, throughout the explanations given surrounding her, Aki's voice was noticeably absent. Her gestures and signals were silent and minimal. She moved as if afraid to draw attention to herself or some form of pain. Neither made sense to him.

True Aki had never been particularly desirous of drawing attention, but she had never seriously avoided it either. She never bothered to change her mannerisms or her costume, comfortable in her own skin and foreignness in the eyes of the people. The people and their curious stares had never been a source of fear for her. Now she seemed to curl in on herself the minute she became the center of attention.

And she had no reason to fear pain. Her gods had once again seen to it that she held no injury. Such behavior spoke of prolonged injury and great pain. Pain that might have forced her to go to ground? Sesshoumaru ground his teeth at the mere possibility. He almost wanted to take the little bonsai tree and rend the branches from it. Naraku would feel the pain a tree feels when torn apart and the liquid that would surface would be as blood. But again his weakness held him from it. Besides, it probably wouldn't be enough anyway and Aki would disapprove damaging something truly helpless, especially after she had already passed her own judgment on the dark hanyou.

Her reluctance to touch and be touched were probably also due to that Naraku's actions as well. Sesshoumaru wasn't fully certain what the villain had done, as he hadn't been paying attention when it was brought up. In actuality, he didn't even know it _had_ been brought up in the first place.

Aki had never been touchy feely, she was self-contained but conscious of the feelings of others around her. If they needed to touch to feel comfortable she was certain to allow it, if only briefly. And she was always ready with a hug for any child that really needed it. But he was beginning to suspect it was no longer so. Now she seemed to almost flinch when anyone came too close.

The only two exceptions he had thus far witnessed were the undead miko who had assumably acted as her healer and the Ookami prince. Both had been exceedingly careful in what few moments of contact they happened to make.

More unsatisfying than Kouga's unexplained behavior upon his arrival was the complete absence of Aki's gaze upon him, Sesshoumaru. Always before she would acknowledge him in some way. A glance, a touch a teasing smile gifted to him when no one else was looking.

He worried for her; if this was what Naraku had done to her he worried for her greatly. And Sesshoumaru, in the most secret places of his soul, he feared for himself as well. With just the idea that Aki was forever divided from him he had allowed all his training to fall away and engaged in a battle with only rage as his weapon. And he was paying for it.

Now he knew she was alive but seemingly just as out of reach, driven there by the actions of the very evil bastard she'd turned into a tree. Sesshoumaru couldn't allow Naraku to win this one; it was too much of a sacrifice to make. He was ready to help her, to stand by her until she surmounted this legacy of Naraku for as long as it took because Aki was his promised one, his beloved.

Sesshoumaru blinked in surprise at the word. He should scoff at the very notion. He was taiyoukai, above such an emotion as love. Love indicated an emotional need and reliance on someone else that he couldn't afford. But…could he afford to let go of Aki?

The words he'd reluctantly spoken to Mouse all that time ago echoed back through his ears though he closed his eyes on them. The desires he'd expressed, even his reluctance to consider anyone else to fulfill them left him to conclude that he had already accepted his need and reliance on Aki long before the words for it had crept into his head.

Strange how it was him loving her that spooked him so when he so desired the emotion from her for him.

It was something to ponder later, for now Aki was getting away from him! The regal youkai barely managed a step before the pain he'd been ignoring reached up and dragged him down. His heart squeezed in his chest even as his knees hit the ground and Aki disappeared from sight.

"Foolish youkai!" Kikyou hissed sharply. "You should never ignore a head wound like this!" Hers was not a face he would have chosen to follow him down into the darkness.

Sesshoumaru's unconscious mind was plagued with the memory of Loki's geography lesson in the pink haired Kaoru's Nightclub office. He well remembered the inferred size of Aki's homeland. His troubled dreams compounded the size of that part of the map kept growing in size until it covered one whole side of the globe, displacing the water proportionately until he couldn't even see his native Islands above the seas. Then the ball on which the landmasses were marked began to spin, slowly at first and then going faster and faster until the colors were nothing more than a blur.

The office became exceedingly distorted as well. One minute it was a cavernous expanse of walls and ceiling, echoing the words Loki had spoken at the time until they became unintelligible. The next it was too small to hold more than himself and the nightmarish globe of hell. It went from being empty to overly full more times than he could count. People that couldn't have been present for the original conversation made nonsensical comments. And through the vertiginous feelings of these visions nothing compared with the slow burning fear of losing Aki to that great expanding plate of land.

Then, the lights in the office began a strange sequence of flickering brighter and dimmer until they ultimately remained stuck on an exceedingly bright state of being that fell in through a doorway that looked nothing like the entryway that had originally been there.

He blinked his eyes open to find the doorway belonged to Kaede's hut and the light was the sunlight streaming in the uncovered opening. Slowly he made the effort to sit up allowing one of his hands to bathe in the warmth of the light. It was terribly bright in comparison to the cool darkness surrounding him.

"You're awake!" A childish voice squeaked out in relief. The sound came from the darker area of the hut, causing him to turn his gaze and blink rapidly in hopes of hastening the adjustment of his eyes. "We were worried," Azusa added softly. The little girl fidgeted with pent up energy and residual nerves. "Kikyou said your injury could have killed you. Rin cried a lot after she said that. Kagome-Chan threatened to beat that mean ol' miko for it. She insisted that 'could' did not mean 'would' but Rin didn't believe it." The child studied him a moment and cocked her head to the side. "Inuyasha eventually calmed her down, sort of," she shrugged. "Shippou's been taking her out to the fields everyday to cheer her up." Azusa gestured to the flower-strewn interior of the hut. "Rin insists they'll make you get better. Kaede said to let her keep doing it because some of the plants she brought were herbs that needed to be harvested anyway."

On and on she went until he knew what everybody else was currently doing but nothing about what he wanted to know. Sesshoumaru suspected Azusa was just letting go of stress in her self-contained way though his head ached with the constant sound of her childish tone.

"Azusa," a wizened old voice called from the doorway. Kaede moved into the hut to relieve the healing taiyoukai of the wearying attentions of his rambunctious nurse. "Child, go fetch Rin. I think she might like to know the taiyoukai is well now." She sent the girl out into the bright sunshine gently. "Awake I see, Sesshoumaru-sama," the old miko's calming presence swept the last of Azusa's hectic energy from the dwelling. "Azusa has worried greatly for you these last days. She has seldom left your side because of her anxiety."

He nodded without surprise. Though Sesshoumaru and Azusa did not get along especially well, the child had no one else but him in this world to care for her…that is if Aki were to never come back. Of course he would not allow that to happen. He was going to track her down and somehow persuade her to return. Speaking of, how great of a lead did Aki have on him? "Miko," he demanded with a single word.

"You have been healing here for three days," Kaede took up a drying weed, testing it's readiness for the next step in its processing. "Aki passed through several days before that, if Hanako's information is to be trusted."

Sesshoumaru's horrified mind reeled. Aki had nearly one of her week's advantage on him. A thousand things could happen in seven days. He'd never appreciated the reality of that statement before knowing Aki. His nightmares of expanding maps flooded his conscious mind, filling his stomach with the cool dread of it.

Sesshoumaru pushed to his feet, lacking the strength for his standard fluidity of motion. Aki's lead would not be allowed to grow. Last time something that had shaken her to the core had happened she had moved to a different country with the intent of becoming lost in the foreign cities. If the small isles of his home could have such large cities, he hated to wonder at the number of large overwhelming cities her own country could sustain.

"Sit down fool," Another voice commanded from the blocked doorway. "You haven't eaten in a sennight! Eat before you do something stupid!" Kikyou snorted as she disregarded the growl he gave her, completely unimpressed. When the youkai snarling in her face made no move to resume a seated position she reached out and shoved him into one without ceremony. "And that's why you should eat. You have not the strength to stay on your feet let alone go hunting Aki." Kikyou glared down at him a bit longer grumbling about stubborn youkai and their inability to grasp the true effects of great injury and the need for rest in order to heal properly.

Kanna silently held out a basket for the taiyoukai from where she had followed the undead miko into the hut. Timidly she murmured his name and gestured with the basket for him to take it.

In the basket he found a bunch of sweet smelling berries and some lightly roasted stuffed river fish that was still warm. Sesshoumaru nodded to her in thanks and the pale child ducked her head before retreating behind the miko standing closest to her.

"You'd best eat it," Kikyou crossed her arms and glared at him. "The fish was stuffed with herbs to quicken your recovery. I wouldn't have thought you'd wake up today but Kanna insisted. We made the fish to humor her."

"Kanna has been most helpful," Kaede patted the child's white head. "She has a talent to be nurtured and developed."

Kikyou scoffed but said nothing as she glared every last berry from the basket.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin's wailing voice hardly warned him of her approach before she was upon him and attempting to squeeze the air from his lungs.

"Rin," Kagura chuckled as she pried the little girl's tiny fingers off the demon lord so he could breath. The wind youkai got in a reassuring squeeze of her own in before fully managing to pull the child back. "Good to see you awake," she nodded to him.

"Keh, finally!" Inuyasha grumbled the moment he laid eyes on his conscious brother. "Thought you were going to sleep forever."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome slapped his arm. "He wasn't out that long and he had a good reason!"

"Keh!"

"Inuyasha is just anxious to collect the Shikon no Tama," Miroku explained for the uncommunicative hanyou.

At Sesshoumaru's raised eyebrow Sango took up the explanations herself. "Kagome believes that before Aki turned Naraku into the bonsai tree she made sure to take his shards from him. She thinks," Sango began, her brow creasing slightly in indication that this part confused her a bit. "Kagome thinks Aki touched it with her bare skin."

Sesshoumaru barely refrained from changing expression at this knowledge. Mouse's warning over absorbing jewel shards filtered through his brain. It was a wonder Aki survived past that point.

"When Aki touches the Shikon no kakera with bare skin the shards are drawn into a space Aki explained as being between her soul and her body," Kohaku informed her. "It was how she took my shard."

"What?" Sango gasped in surprise.

"Since Aki was with Kouga before the battle with Naraku and she stole Kagome's shards," Shippou ignored Sango's little out burst. "Kagome thinks Aki has the whole jewel with her."

"Which means," Inuyasha ground out incredibly irritated by the whole explanation of things he already knew, "that me and Kagome are going to retrieve it."

Sesshoumaru allowed the information to sink in. Despite Inuyasha making it sound as if retrieving the Shikon no tama from Aki's possession had nothing the do with him, he knew they expected him to come. As if they could have gotten away without him. Sesshoumaru could not pass through the well without either Kagome or his half brother to guide him; the Bone eater's well wouldn't allow it. And there was no way he was going to let a simple thing like time keep him from the hunt for Aki.

"Kagome believes it will not be difficult to find Aki on the other side of the well," Miroku added just to keep from being left out of the conversation or forgotten.

"We did ask Loki and the others to keep on the look out for her and there are always records with the pertinent location information needed to find someone," Kagome nodded with a shrug added just for flavor.

"Then why haven't we left already?" Inuyasha grumped. The inactivity of several days' worth of healing compounded by a restlessness caused by waiting another couple days for a slightly less than beloved sibling to recuperate had ridiculously strained what little politeness he'd ever possessed. The dog boy was more than ready for that final adventure that preceded the end of this great epic quest for a jewel he wasn't sure he still wanted. What had he to wish for? He was secure in the knowledge that Kagome liked him, he had friends, family that didn't actively seek to mortally wound him anymore and a kick ass sword. So he didn't get to personally maim and fatally injure Naraku, big deal. His disappointment wasn't enough to warrant wishing the evil bastard back from the bark of a bonsai tree just to beat into a bloody pulp. Although…Kagome had described the process of turning trees to pulp to make paper once. That could be fun!

But all that was for later. Right now he was rudely impatient to be underway. Inuyasha could almost feel that itchy sensation under his skin that he was certain Sesshoumaru was feeling. The need to find Aki and ascertain definitively that she was and would be fine was an ingrained habit for the dog boy, for inu lord, it was almost a physical need.

Kagome on the other hand, wasn't as concerned with catching Aki up in the overly protective and clingy presence of either inu. It was just the certain feeling she got that Aki might not be up for it just yet. She might not be up for it ever, actually. What Naraku had hinted at wasn't very informative, but bad enough that she was in no real hurry to lead the charge on her former tutor's poor nerves.

That and she was plenty tired of Inuyasha's rudeness that had only worsened over the course of days they'd been waiting for Sesshoumaru to regain consciousness. "Osuwari!" Kagome snapped. "I'm getting tired of answering that question already. Grow up Inuyasha!"

Sesshoumaru might have raised his eyebrow at the things Inuyasha said to the dirt in his face if the boy hadn't already smelled as if some of the things he muttered had happened previously.

"Keh, I'll show you grown up!" Inuyasha growled the moment the spell wore off. Before Kagome could adequately respond his mouth was engaging hers most pleasantly. This time Fred hadn't instigated it and he was beyond caring if anybody saw. If Miroku could solve his problems with Sango and Sesshoumaru could publicly pursue Aki to the ends of time, then he could kiss Kagome properly any time of day.

"If you are quite done with the needless displays of affection," Kikyou huffed. "Sesshoumaru has already departed from the hut." Just because she didn't want to kiss Inuyasha didn't mean she wanted to watch him kissing her reincarnation.

"I thought you were anxious to retrieve the Shikon no tama from Aki," Sango teased the hanyou on her way out the door.

"Yeah, Inuyasha," Shippou called from Miroku's shoulder.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha bonked the kit on the head knocking him to the ground from Miroku's height.

"Osuwari!" Kagome said absently.

"Really Inuyasha," Miroku teased the hanyou after Kagome had hefted her pack and gone outside. "Do wait for an appropriate time."

"This from the man who asks every woman he meets to bare his child at the first opportunity," Sango snorted with mild humor. Miroku was honestly getting better about his behavior, but she wasn't about to let him to backslide through something as simple as forgetfulness.

"Speaking of," Miroku wiggled his eyebrows at her as Inuyasha finally managed to escape the confines of Kaede's humble dwelling.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed at the smack Sango landed on the monk. Even he knew she didn't mean it anymore.

"Are you sure it's all right for Sesshoumaru to go through the well like this?" Kagome was asking Kikyou. "Head wounds are tricky."

"This Sesshoumaru is prepared to face the consequences," the taiyoukai growled over whatever answer the undead miko was about to give. He was going, and nothing was going to make him give Aki more time to disappear from his reality.

"The youkai will probably be fine," Kaede calmly placated the girl. "Aki has traversed the well many times, healthy, injured or confused. It has never harmed her."

"Yeah, but-"

"This Sesshoumaru will go regardless," he declared shortly. The female was getting on his nerves and he was impatient to be away.

"Keh! Let him go, Kagome," Inuyasha scoffed petulantly. "It's not like it could make him any more of an asshole."

"Inuyasha," Kagome began sharply.

Sesshoumaru cut her off before she could even begin to scold the hanyou properly. "I fear not the side effects," he growled shortly, quite done with standing around the old miko's hut.

"Stop stalling Kagome," Inuyasha warned her.

"Yes, the sooner begun, the sooner done," Sango nodded.

The taijiya's brother moved to stand in Sesshoumaru's path, blocking the way to the well. "You go to find her then?" the dead youth observed the taiyoukai coolly. Sesshoumaru glared at the boy to move out of his way, but Kohaku simply raised his hand up, fingers gently curled to cradle the glowing shard in his palm. "Give this to her then, she needs it."

"Kohaku!" Sango gasped as Miroku's hand settled on her shoulder to help weight her in place.

Kohaku glanced at his sister wearily. He couldn't live forever. Hell, he wasn't technically alive now. "I am done. I have seen justice befall the one who hurt us so terribly and Aki has taught me forgiveness. I am ready to face my next life without regret." The boy stared into the eyes of the taiyoukai as earnestly as he could, "She will need this."

Sesshoumaru allowed Kohaku to drop the sliver of Aki's soul into his clawed hand.

Inuyasha caught the lifeless husk of Sango's little brother before it could fall all the way to the ground. Sango was taking this badly without seeing her brother land like a sack of grain. This was one of the reasons Inuyasha loved that most of his family was youkai. Youkai mostly disintegrated posthumously and within seconds too. Something about watching them evaporate made it easier to believe they joined some greater whatever out there. Now Sango would have to watch her brother's body either be buried or burned. Secretly he was hoping she cremated the little bugger. Kohaku had seemingly arisen from the dead once–the poor brat-better to insure that it couldn't happen again.

Sango curled up on the ground next to her gentle and brave brother, her body seemingly folding up and shrinking with this final desertion of her kin. It had been a nightmare to lose him the first time; there was nothing worse at this moment than having to lose him twice.

Miroku tapped her shoulder gently before stepping forward to offer prayers for the departed. He could not do much for her, but this was one thing he could do to offer her some peace.

Rin hugged the taijiya she'd grown to see as a big sister. The child offered up her own silent tears at her friendly kidnappers end. Kohaku had been kind to her and she had rather liked him. Besides, it kind of hurt to watch someone cry alone.

Some members of the party were wholly unaffected by the passing of an already dead soul, especially when the passing was brought about to aid a particularly favorite person not currently in attendance. And if one death could help Aki out…

"You next, pot lady," Hanako poked Kikyou solidly in what would have been the fleshier part of the arm if the miko was actually flesh and blood. "Cough up Aki's soul."

"I will not," Kikyou snorted derisively. "For one thing I do not just 'throw up' souls on demand," the miko glared at the demon bunny down her nose. It was incredibly easy thing to do considering Hanako was at least a foot shorter than her. "And I won't be giving up Aki's soul until I've properly trained someone to look after her." The 'pot lady' crossed her arms over her chest like she'd seen Aki do a million times. "How many human healers do you know will treat youkai? How many youkai healers can treat human ailments? It is better to think ahead fool!"

"I am thinking ahead," Hanako scoffed at the miko. "I'm thinking that once Aki comes back to me she'll be through with all her trouble seeking and childish phases and finally be ready to settle down. With me."

"You sure she's not crazy?" Azusa asked skeptically.

"Hanako is fine," Kaede assured the child.

"Just as long as you discount her delusions about Aki," Kagura poked the rabbit with her fan. "When Aki comes back she'll hardly give you the time of day."

"Yeah, Aki is going to be Sesshoumaru's mate," Shippou declared as if the case were completely closed and the decision was final. To him it may have been but not to Hanako.

"Don't be ridiculous!" the rabid bunny exploded.

Though it all, Sesshoumaru stood silently engaged in a study of the shining sliver of soul in his hand. He was seemingly unaware of the argument brewing on one side of him and oblivious to the mourning that stung his nose on the other. This little piece of Aki was more important and he was trying to think of a way to carry it so it couldn't be misplaced.

A small hand appeared to block his view. It dropped something else into his open and already occupied hand before retreating to the side of its owner.

Sesshoumaru looked up into Kanna's pale eyes. She fidgeted under his gaze, dropping her eyes timidly. "Tell her," she began in a quiet voice, as if afraid to be heard. "Tell her I don't need it so long as she comes back."

He nodded at the child who bowed before scampering over to hide behind her arguing sister. Sesshoumaru closed his hand on two pieces of Aki's soul, one sharp like a piece of glass, the other a soft glowing ball. He was done with being here. He would wait no longer. Kohaku had declared Aki would need what he held in his hand and he wouldn't risk the boy being right with further delays.

Sesshoumaru deliberately stalked down the path to the portal through time. If he allowed them to stall him any longer Inuyasha's miko would demand they stay long enough for death and burial services in honor of the boy who died twice, a waste of energy. Death rites only needed to be performed once over a body. Besides, Inuyasha and his miko were of no relation to the deceased and therefore had no business attending. The monk could perform the ceremonies.

"Kagome," Inuyasha called to the ninth grader. "Come on," he lowered his voice as he drew her towards the path Sesshoumaru had taken.

"But Sango-" She tried to protest.

"-Will be fine, but we won't if we keep Sesshoumaru waiting much longer," he growled quietly. Actually, he was anxious to get a move on as well. He didn't properly know how to mourn somebody, especially not somebody he didn't know. It was a waste of time and effort on something that couldn't be fixed. Kohaku was dead and he would stay dead (he hoped for Sango's sake). It was better to focus on the living and keeping them alive.

Kagome was really dragging her feet about this and Inuyasha could tell she was failing to grasp the full precariousness of the situation. "Kagome will you hurry up?" he growled, his nerves alert and sending warnings to his brain about what he knew would happen if Sesshoumaru didn't get through the well quickly.

"Inuyasha, Sango just lost the last of her family," Kagome whined. "I'm sure Aki can hold out without us for a while longer."

"You don't get it Kagome," Inuyasha tugged on her carefully. "If we don't get moving we're the ones that won't be able to hold out. Sesshoumaru _needs_ to find Aki. It's like an itch under his skin. I don't think he was really paying attention the last time we saw Aki so he's still stuck in that place where he's searching for her to make sure she's alive."

"That's absurd!" Kagome scoffed quietly back at him. "He saw her like the rest of us."

Inuyasha grit his teeth. He protested against the comparison of himself and his relations with the common canine every time the comparison was made. Here he was about to make the comparison himself. "When was the last time just seeing something was enough for a dog, Kagome? Inu don't identify with things by sight alone. They rely on scent."

"But you said Aki doesn't carry scent," Kagome objected.

"According to Sesshoumaru she does, it's just very subtle," Inuyasha muttered. "A blind man cannot see, Kagome, does that mean he can't identify things?"

"Don't be silly," Kagome snorted. "He can identify things by touch and smell and sound and…"

"Are you getting it now?"

"Are you trying to tell me he needs to touch her?" she demanded in disbelief, fairly growling. "You saw how she was! She won't be able to handle that!"

"I love it when you growl," he teased her and Kagome flushed scarlet. She reached out and slapped his arm for his comment, trying to get him to be serious.

"Don't try to predict what Aki can handle or not. She's survived a lot."

"Nothing like this," Kagome mumbled with a shake of her head as the well came into view.

Sesshoumaru towered over the squat wooden structure glaring down into it as they approached. He never had liked that he couldn't travel through the well on his own, not like Aki could, like Inuyasha could, like Kagome. He had not been paying attention to his hanyou sibling and his mate as they traveled through the trees. They were unimportant beyond their capacity to take him to where Aki now was. Clutched in his protective fist were two pieces of her soul and a fierce determination to track her down and reach a final decision for this whole mess that was him and her and not them.


	2. Up the Airy Mountain

so? How was it last week? Seriously, So many conflicting things going on it's a wonder Sesshoumaru managed to get through the well at all. Heheh! and the nightmares! Gah! though which was the nightmare? the pulsating globe, or the little people running at him from every which way...

Today we land on the other side of the well, and if you think the wait is over... GUESS AGAIN! because there's a whole lotta of craziness going on in Tokyo. I suppose I should bring up that I'm practically revamping all the strong characters from the last visit to Tokyo. Loki, Kaoru, and we finally get to meet Raven and Cro's mysterious boss. um, that is if the commenting on a character that wasn't even introduced before makes them mysterious. Which it does! Buahahaha!

Hey look a distraction! This Saturday I retake my Chemistry GRE. Here's hoping I more than do a little better on it than last time. (If it was possible to fail the thing I did that last time, ewie!) In any case, If you've never reviewed before, but like my little ficcie even a little, send me some encouragement. I'm going to need it after the beating I take on my GRE. Couldn't they just accept that you graduated with a BS and the logical step is to go higher after that? I think I've proven I stick with my goals. And I didn't just graduate, I graduated with a decent GPA! is that not enough?

then again, when is Enough, enough? More is better. That's a gravy train I'm sure Rumiko Takahashi could believe in. How long has her Story gotten? not that I'm one to talk. 63 chapters in total, plus one alternative chapters... and if I really wanted to I could go back and flesh it out some more! I really should right novels. I think I could handle romances, easy. well except for me wanting to make them with really heavy plots. A little death here a lot of torment there, might come off a little bitter. maybe I should try something different...

**Up the Airy Mountain**

There's something to be said for single-minded determination. That's it. Nothing more to be said about it. Single-mindedness requires a certain closure of mind, a tunneling of perception and awareness that allows no room for niceties or explanations. There's no perceived need for rationalization and no real care for the feelings of what or who may exist outside of the subscribed purpose and path decided upon that lead to the state of being single-mindedly determined.

That said, there is also something to _not_ being so focused on the goal in mind. In all his nightmares about spinning globes and the whole single chopstick in a rice paddy problem, he never once actually pondered the logistics of looking for his promised mate. Or rather, Sesshoumaru had not imagined the great lengths he would have to go to just to get from one country into the next.

But Kagome, a native of the modern day world, certainly had, and her nightmare had barely begun. She hadn't merely been stalling when asking Kikyou about the taiyoukai's injury. Some traumas can be agitated by stress, and it wasn't just emotional stress she was worried about.

Sure it was obvious that Sesshoumaru could seriously use a chill pill the moment he dissed her mother to head over to Aki's apartment. Kagome slapped a hand over her face the minute his silk covered back disappeared into the heart of the city. If the inu lord hadn't been in such a hurry, he could have changed into less distinctively clothing. And lets not forget the fact the demon was carrying live steel on his person through the streets of Tokyo.

Her head was beginning to pound with the possibility of trying to get a youkai displaced by 500 years out of the legal system of modern day Japan. For once, she decided to take advantage of the fact that her family lived on shrine grounds and prayed that Sesshoumaru would actually make it to Aki's apartment without incident. Though what he could possibly think he would find there she didn't know.

Truly, Sesshoumaru didn't expect to find Aki in her apartment. Logically though, it made sense to start there. Somehow he was certain Aki couldn't go straight from the well across the sea to her home. That was a great journey that required some preparation, unlike her wanderings around the islands in search of Shikon shards, which seemed to need minimal planning.

If crossing an ocean had been as much of an undertaking in this new time as it was in his own, Aki would still be on this island. It wasn't likely a civilization that had managed to develop self-propelling metal carriages that approach the speed of some youkai wouldn't have found some way to make sea crossings less time consuming and hazardous.

Going to Aki's apartment was more about gathering information. He knew Loki worked out of her living room and his last visit had ended with Fred's living sister moving in when they left. Both would likely be present and have all kinds of information on Aki's current location and how to get there.

The major draw back to this plan was that Alexis and Loki might be there. Sesshoumaru wasn't exactly a fan of either. Loki was an impertinent brat, constantly trying to usurp the inu youkai's position as Aki's protector. If it wasn't for the child's intense interest in the pink haired female that was everyone else's greatest nightmare Sesshoumaru might even believe he was out to mate Aki as well.

His problems with Alexis stemmed almost completely from first meeting her and the attempt to cause Aki serious harm. And she talked too much. She was nosy and likewise impertinent. On top of all that, she was related to the very same ghost that was such a headache to him.

But he was determined to get this over with and Talking to Loki and possibly Alexis was the best place to start.

His situation after traversing the crowded streets of the city in his medieval garb could be perceived one of two ways. Either luck was with him or it wasn't as while Loki was present inside the little collection of rooms, Alexis was not the other person present. It took Sesshoumaru a few minutes to realize this after first letting himself inside the unlocked door because, as usual, Loki had something trite to say.

"What took you so long?" Loki expressed the same sentiment the inu lord was quickly becoming tired of hearing. "I expected you here days ago!" The youth was red-eyed and seemingly very agitated by something. "She's not here you know."

Sesshoumaru nodded minutely, anyone would be able to note the absence of her presence after having once experienced. Aki was an unforgettable calming influence on many people. When she wasn't there, you couldn't help but notice.

"You don't appear surprised," Loki growled, his irritation seemingly was not growing at Sesshoumaru's responses or continued presence, so he had to conclude it was the other person that caused the boy's edginess.

"She indicated a desire to return to her home," the inu youkai replied, repeating what little information had been gleaned from the last time he had seen Aki.

"And you still took your sweet time getting here!"

A simple paper-folding fan flicked out in a gesture Sesshoumaru was quickly becoming familiar with. It tapped the back of Loki's head sharply. "The taiyoukai was injured in that last battle, fool!" A sharp voice added the extra sting to the light blow. "He came as soon as he was conscious and the miko got out of his way."

"Damnit Windy! I am not one of your little gang members you can push around!" Loki grasped at the back of his hair like it had been dealt a deadly blow. "And Aki was seriously injured _before_ that battle and still managed to turn that Naraku creep into something unrecognizable to his own mother!"

"As if you would have even been considered to be a member," Windy scoffed. "And nobody else can be measured by the same means as Aki. She's incredibly gifted at ignoring her pain and physical limits. Only crazy people would ever attempt to do some of the stuff she's managed to pull off. Besides, not everyone has the ability to transform things like that." She shook her head of dark hair before disregarding the foolish boy to direct her reddish gaze at the taiyoukai. "Aki is safe, Sesshoumaru-sama. Mouse is with her as are several others that can be trusted to take care of her. She has made her way home and will not be able to shake off her nursemaids very easily this time around."

"Oi! Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha burst into the apartment. "Stop trying to leave us behind!" The hanyou didn't stop there of course. His grumbling continued on to declare his elder sibling "ungrateful", "impolite" in reference to Kagome's mother of course, and impatient in an exceedingly disrespectful and insulting way.

Kagome knocked him on the back of the head to get him to finally stop. She wouldn't use the sit command in Aki's apartment. She wasn't sure if the floor would hold, and while she was sure it would upset Aki if she damaged the place, she was more worried about what her uncle would say when he saw it. He did own the building after all, and he actually lived in the apartment directly below this one if she wasn't mistaken.

"He's not going anywhere so let it drop!" she rolled her eyes. Her relief at finding the taiyoukai not incarcerated for the carrying of a concealed weapon without some kind of permit proving to make her more lenient on the inu youkai. Seriously, she should be giving the tall silver bastard a lecture to rival one of Tama's. Or so she would assume given that she'd never actually heard one of that great old goat's legendary lectures.

About then the two new comers actually took a good look at the third person previously occupying Aki's living room. "Kagura?" Kagome gasped in wonder and confusion. The wind youkai stood in Aki's living room dressed in the clothes of the current era like it was an everyday occurrence. "Didn't we just leave you at Kaede's hut?"

Kagura snorted, "I haven't been to the old miko's hut in centuries. And I haven't gone by that name longer than that. Aki set us free of the bastard that created us." She shrugged, "With a new life, it seemed inappropriate to go by the names he gave us. After a few years everybody else forgot we had anything to do with him." She tapped the paper fan against her chin in her classic gesture of thought. "We were only her children, and that was enough."

"Windy," Loki growled.

"Oh loosen up!" Windy waggled her fingers at him. "I haven't really told them anything."

Kaoru burst into the partially closed front door of the apartment and gasped in relief. "Oh thank goodness they're finally here!"

"Mouse said they would be, silly," Windy shrugged. "You really should start listening to her. She's not just speaking for her health."

"It's hard to take her seriously when she insists on using all these daytime drama references and poses," Kaoru wrinkled her nose. "So what brings you here?" Everybody else had been expected; only Windy's presence had no explanation.

"I came to make a request," the wind youkai began gently. "Kumiko's time is running out."

"Has she-"

Windy cut them off, "She has already been removed from state custody. I could never leave a child to die there, without knowing the touch of family and kindness, constantly worried of exposing our world because of a weakness that can't be controlled. We adopted her last Wednesday."

"Good," Kaoru sighed.

"We are requesting that when you take the others to see Aki, you'll take her as well," the motions of her fan became slightly nervous. "We know she would like to see her and this is likely her last chance."

"No way! Not happening," Loki growled. "The government frowns on taking new adoptions out of the country, especially without their guardians. There's no way it's gonna be my ass in that sling. You can take her yourself."

"But the wolves and I don't exactly get along," Windy shook her head. "It's best if we stay on separate continents."

"Too bad," he snorted.

"Loki," Kaoru began sharply. "You're already taking two people without passports, who don't technically even exist in the eyes of the government into a foreign country and breaking several laws anyway. What's the difference between that and taking just one more?"

"Well, when you put it that way," Loki tapped his chin mockingly. "I'm not going."

"Loki," Kaoru growled. "You are doing this. You will take Kumiko with you and you will do it before the state side wolves contact you with the latest update. You know if you don't a certain youkai in this room will expose our entire world making the laws of man seem like a minor worry against being hunted down like animals, experimented on like lab rats and dissected into little pieces while we are forced to watch."

"Why would you be forced to watch?" Kagome asked, unconvinced of the likelihood of that particular eventuality. Actually she was slightly doubtful of the whole thing, but that one really stuck out.

"Because they don't make anesthetics strong enough to knock us out," Windy answered her. "Youkai pretty much will not sleep when they are being attacked. Dissection would be perceived as an attack on an instinctive level, therefore we would pretty much be forced to watch until whatever scientist dissecting and studying cut into something vital." She tapped her fan thoughtfully, "Of course they might try to pass it off as medical research to perfect surgeries and the like, but it still reeks of what the humans did in Germany during the Second World War."

"Windy!" Loki growled.

"Loki," Kaoru snarled and he ducked away from her tone. It was a very bad idea to get off topic with Kaoru being serious, especially when it was about something like this.

"Yes?" he answered to save his own skin.

Kaoru nodded, "That's what I thought. Kumiko will be tagging along."

"But," Loki protested weakly.

"Great!" Windy snapped her fan shut. "We'll meet you at the air port. WE need to get her ready to go. She's never been on a plane before."

Kagome blanched at the mention of the word plane. This couldn't be good. "Plane?" she asked reluctantly, hoping she'd heard wrong.

"Yes," Kaoru answered absently as much of Loki's tension melted with the exit of a territorial rival. "We've got a private jet set up to take you stateside. Hopefully you'll already be in the air when Mouse tries to make contact."

Kagome had been worried about this. Two medieval youkai incased in a metal bird, oh the nightmares she would be living. Not to mention the fact that Sesshoumaru had been healing from a head wound, not a good thing for air travel.

"Speaking of," Kaoru reconnected with the conversation. "We need to go dig up some travel cloths and necessities for you time travelers. You may be able to get away with wearing those ancient clothes on the Streets of Tokyo, but the only way that will fly in the states is if you're attending an anime convention." The pink haired woman was already dragging the teenager and her baseball cap-wearing companion towards the door. "Come on, lets go shopping."

"What about Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked.

"We need to shop for him too," Kaoru nodded, leading the charge down stairs.

"But don't we need to bring him with us?" the ninth grader demanded.

"That youkai? In a store? In his state?" Kaoru gasped. "You have got to be crazy! The only way that guy will move is if the next stop leads to Aki. Besides," she shrugged, "can you imagine him in a store? He'd stand there and scare people while refusing to try on clothes, which would be the only reason to take him in the first place."

"Then why am I being dragged along?" Inuyasha almost whined. Shopping sounded incredibly boring and/or horrible. He'd rather stay in the apartment they just left, or even at the shrine where Kagome's mother was working on dinner already.

"Because we can bully you into trying on clothes," Kaoru smirked.

Back in the apartment Loki was castigating himself for letting his irritation get the best of him. Windy wasn't a bad sort, but she was a rival in more ways than one. Her territory was right next to his and slightly larger. When Aki had first surfaced there had been a bit of a scuffle over who should get to be her primary protector. Windy had been his main opposition.

But that wasn't the worst of it. He would have normally been irritated without the added stress of Kaoru being at the receptive period of her cycle. True, she may not have been able to conceive a life, but her body still followed a cycle and her heat, when it hit, was lighter than most other female's would be, but he could still sense it. And the fact that she wouldn't accept his suit was always exceptionally hard when she gave off that scent. It always made him want to push the issue, but at the same time he was afraid to because he didn't want to completely kill off the sliver of hope he still harbored eternal.

Add to that the fact that Kaoru in her younger days had been a wild child and loved to experiment…with girls and he had some serious problems. Windy was the only gay youkai to hold any kind of power in the country. All the young youkai insecure in their sexuality or confused about their orientation flocked to her lead. He could see how the two could strike up a relationship of the very nature Loki wanted with Kaoru despite the long standing relationship between Windy and another youkai female.

Now that both were gone he could release some of that tension and pent up frustration over the whole situation. Or rather, he could if a certain taiyoukai would get out of his space. Recklessly he growled at the older, more powerful male. Loki was beyond caring if he were cut down for his disrespect. So many things in his life were messed up it almost seemed the best way to end it all before it got worse.

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed at him some emotion he really didn't care to identify before the silver youkai slipped down the hall, leaving him alone with the powerless computer, silent electronics and the hum of the lights. Loki would be in his perfect heaven if only Kaoru were here accepting his suit and stripped down to her bare essentials.

The taiyoukai retreated down the hall, not really caring if the brat had all but insulted him in disrespect. He simply didn't feel like cutting the little brat down, nor did he care what was stressing the child out. Sesshoumaru just didn't care to share the same air with him tainting it.

Aki's room was expectedly empty of all life. The bed was empty and unmade as if the lady herself had just crawled out from under the blankets. The inu approached them hoping her scent might still be clinging to something he could hold. He'd been so long without her breathing was becoming a chore when her scent wasn't laced with his every breath.

AS typical with Aki's strange abilities and subtle scent, the smell of the laundry soap had obliterated any chance of her smell lingering. The ghost of her presence long evaporated with the residual warmth of her body cooling in the crisp sheets. He reached for her Pillow hoping against reason that this one last chance would hold what he sought. It didn't. In his frustration he threw the pillows from him as each one proved a failure for his sensitive nose.

Sesshoumaru was tired and frustrated. For the first time since his far away youth, he allowed himself the luxury of throwing a fit in the empty room. The pillows landed strewn all over the room. Blankets and sheets were ripped from the mattress and thrown to the floor.

Amidst the chaos his tantrum created he found what he sought, a little something that cradled Aki's scent deep in its fluffy heart. Aki's teddy bear peeked out at him from the blankets that had held it captive from view. Sesshoumaru's clawed hand stalled inches from tearing the stuffing out of the first of her many pillows when the brown fur caught his eye. Tentatively, his fear of once more being disappointed robbed him of his usually assured mannerisms, he reached for the soft plushy and brought it to his nose.

There it was, his breath let out in a burst of relief, his frustrations and worries calming in the scent left behind by years of childish clutching. Her scent laced into the brown fur and stuffing and not even the residual scent of childhood fears and tears of loneliness could detract from the simple fact that it was there in the teddy bear she left behind.

AS his calmed brain began once again to work, it struck him that Aki should not have left it behind. His female had been, at the very least, terribly injured in Naraku's hands. He had witnessed the side effects of some of the emotional and psychological damage the evil hanyou's violence had wrought. Wouldn't she have desired the comfort of this treasured object? Wouldn't she have taken it with her?

He could understand not taking it through the well with her during the worst of her identity related insecurities. His time was dangerous and not the place for the keeping of delicate treasures such as a soft easily torn toy, especially not when wandering the countryside as she had been wont to do in search of the Shikon no Kakera. But surely it wasn't the same here. True, the little misrepresentation of bearhood could easily be damaged anywhere as the slight damage on its muzzle would suggest, but she wasn't planning to wander around. She was going home and therefore could have conceivably seen there bear to her home and stashed it there in a safe place just as she had here.

Unless the journey was dangerous… or she felt that the bear simply could not offer her comfort for what she felt now.

Before he could contemplate too much about this last thought, Kagome, Kaoru, and Inuyasha returned from their errand for clothing. Sesshoumaru didn't go to greet them, instead tucking the little brown furry into his sleeve with the other two treasures he carried to Aki.

Kagome came down the hall to enter the room Sesshoumaru had taken for his own. Her eyes briefly widened at the mess but could easily see how it was none of her business when his eyes narrowed ever so slightly at her the moment her mouth opened. The teenager shook her head and decided to instead bring up the purpose of her coming to bother him. "We need you to change into the clothes we brought you, Sesshoumaru."

He merely stared at her, clothing being on the very bottom of his list of things to worry about. Besides, he knew exactly where the two pieces of Aki's soul were in this wardrobe, and there was room for the little bear without anyone else being the wiser.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome sighed in exasperation, trying to figure out the best way to get him to do this on his own. She was not interested in forcefully disrobing him and shoving him into the slacks and button down Kaoru had picked out for him. "Aki's people do not wear the traditional clothing of Japan. Their customs are different and we don't want to draw too much attention." She watched him for signs that he cared. "Curious people are less likely to stay out of your way, slowing us down."

Sesshoumaru snarled he could just kill the fools that didn't stay back.

"Please try to remember things are not the same as where you're from, you can't kill everyone without getting into a lot of trouble." The teenager interpreted his gesture properly at a guess. "Trouble that could spill over onto Aki. Remember she came to Japan to escape that kind of trouble."

Sesshoumaru blinked then remembered a conversation where that information had been brought up. He had not necessarily participated in it, but he had over heard it. Any deaths that occurred around her would probably be blamed on her by the ignorant masses she was surrounded by. The same ignorant masses that had driven her from her home with violence and assassination techniques. So he could not kill the curious fools that got in his way, Aki did not deserve the possible repercussions such behavior would possibly rain down on her. And he could not allow the curious fools to slow him either. But he did not like that he could misplace such important treasures with a change of clothing.

"Don't worry," Kagome smiled at him. "I got you these too." She held up two bags. One a great deal smaller than the other but large enough to contain the precious pieces of Aki's soul, the other was the size of Kagome's customary pack and clearly meant to carry his traditional clothing along with the smaller bag. "I couldn't get you anything for the swords, but you wouldn't have been able to take them anyway. You can leave them here as Kaoru insists you'll be back in Japan in almost no time at all."

"Is everybody ready to go yet?" Kaoru came briskly down the hall. "What? He's not even dressed yet, Kagome, I'm disappointed."

"Oi, leave Kagome alone you twit," Inuyasha growled and pushed the pink-haired woman down the hall. The hanyou stepped forward and gathered the stuff in Kagome's arms and deposited it in the bathroom. "We leave as soon as you're dressed. Apparently they've been waiting for us to get here so everything is set up to leave the moment we're ready," the younger inu informed his brother. "I still don't believe they actually think some big metal bird will actually fly."

Kagome groaned, more than tired of trying to explain the reality of the situation.

Sesshoumaru had changed quickly and caught His brother's comment. Packing the bags with what he had to pack he stepped out of Aki's bathroom and raised an eyebrow at the only person in the room who actually knew what a flying metal bird was.

"Argh!" Kagome threw her hands up and stomped down the hall followed by her hanyou and the taiyoukai slinging the pack over his shoulders as He had seen Kagome do so many times.

"Finally ready to go?" Kaoru asked hopefully. She was more than ready to send Loki out of the country. His attitude was seriously getting on her nerves. What was his problem anyway?

"Lets go," Loki growled in irritation. His driving left much to be desired this time around as he turned a fifteen minute drive into a five minute drag race and the only reason it took five minutes is because of the one traffic light he actually waited for.

Kagome's grip on her "oh shit" bar left her knuckles white and she'd needed Inuyasha to pry her hand off of it when Loki finally parked the car.

"Hurry up and get on the plane," Their driver growled.

Kagome dragged Inuyasha across the tarmac so fast he didn't have a chance to balk at the sight of the big white jet parked on the runway. Sesshoumaru on the other hand, his feet rooted to the pavement the moment he saw just what a "plane" was.

"It really will fly," a tiny voice called to him from his left. Sesshoumaru turned to watch the little girl lumber over to him firmly gripping her canes. A bright colored pack rested on her back, a more cheerful version of his bag. "It's all based on physics, you see," Kumiko tilted her head to the side, looking at the plane rather than at him. "It actually flies faster than we do too."

"Do you have everything you need?" the modern version of Kagura kneeled next to the little phoenix.

"Of course," Kumiko snorted. "I was trained by the best you know."

"Watch that mouth of yours," Windy tapped the child's nose. "There are some not so kind or patient."

"Oh yeah, and what are they going to do to me? Kill me?" Kumiko scoffed. "Not much of a threat there."

Windy shook her head and rose to her feet. "Good luck Sesshoumaru-sama. You have a long struggle ahead of you, but know that you will not have to face it alone. There are many who offer aid to Aki, don't be afraid to accept their help."

"AS if he needs you to foretell the future," Kumiko scoffed. "Come on or they'll take off without us!"

Sesshoumaru walked even with the brave child who approached the metal bird so boldly. She was excited and cheerful enough to almost iron out the worries that had arisen the moment he laid eyes on it. Kumiko struggled briefly with the steps into the cabin and then they were shut up in the belly of the great metal beast.

"Have a seat and buckle yourselves in and we'll be off," Data nodded to them as he finally headed to the cockpit.

"Please tell me you're not the pilot," Kagome groaned.

"Hey, I've had my pilot's license since I was thirty. I know what I'm doing," Data protested as he disappeared from sight.

"He must know what he's doing," Loki shrugged. "He flew Aki over last week and he wouldn't have risked her if he didn't."

"Oh now, you're done with your bought of PMS?" Kagome snipped at him, her nerves frazzled by the mere idea of flying on a plane piloted by a guy who looked younger than she did while breaking an absurd number of laws all while being completely unsure as to how well Sesshoumaru and his almost healed cranial injury would take this. Her jaw didn't relax until the plane evened out after take off.

"I wonder what this button does," Kumiko started playing with the little knobs and buttons found near her seat. "Hey cool," she cooed when the vent turned on.

Following her bad example, Inuyasha started playing with things as well. Kagome groaned at the flashing lights and inconstant breeze from the vent as Inuyasha played with hers as well.

When she started feeling Nauseous, Kagome smacked his hands down then the back of his head just to be sure she had his attention. "Knock it off," she practically yelled.

"Looks like I called just in time," Mouse's even voice threaded through the cabin. "Can you see me now?" An image flickered on the screen before the pale healer's gaze landed on them.

"Hi Mouse," Kagome greeted her as politely as her mood was able.

"Hello all, I've been expecting you," Mouse nodded slightly.

"So what's the report?" Loki demanded. Mouse had been denying details since Aki made back home.

"Aki is physically well," Mouse replied dryly, "for now."

"What?" Kagome groaned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha added. "How can Aki be fine just 'for now'?"

"It means she expects Aki will not be fine for much longer," Kumiko explained.

"They brought you on this trip?" Mouse inquired in surprise.

"Had to bring somebody sane," Kumiko shrugged.

"I resent that," Loki growled.

"Shut up," Mouse cut him off. "Aki's health is at risk, or at least it will be if the situation isn't soon rectified."

"Rectified how? What's wrong with Aki?" Inuyasha demanded.

"There's nothing wrong with Aki."

"Stop speaking in riddles, you just said there was," Loki demanded.

"There's nothing wrong with Aki," Mouse mildly rolled her eyes. "She's just pregnant."

"What?" Loki demanded shortly.

"Wait a minute, I thought Aki couldn't have kids," Kagome began in confusion.

"Aki believed that because at the time the damage was inflicted, that was the case," Loki explained. "When Aki was held in quarantine for ten months after the death of her family she was at one time under suspicion for killing them. While the idea was summarily dismissed very quickly it wasn't quick enough to prevent one self-righteous bastard from releasing an airborne virus into her purified air. It rendered her sterile in turn."

"Apparently the damage wasn't permanent for someone with as much youkai blood as she has. Aki's condition was apparently healed months ago, because that's when she conceived," Mouse replied blandly. "She's starting to reach a critical stage in her pregnancy where she can no longer support the development of her child with her energies alone."

"That's why her health is at risk stupid," Kumiko inserted from her seat. "Aki is currently without a mating contract and has been feeding the process with just her energies so far, but she can't do it for much longer without it threatening the life of mother and child."

"But Aki was injured by Naraku, she fought Naraku," Inuyasha couldn't believe that Aki had not only survived the bastard's attack, but protected the life of her offspring at the same time.

Sesshoumaru's mind was reeling. Conception couldn't occur without a mating contract, the energies required to trigger the initial process were too great to be surmounted otherwise therefore this child was his. Aki had been carrying his heir for the last several months and neither had even known it. She guarded that precious life through her altercation with the moles, Naraku and the well. It explained so much.

It explained why Aki was so mysteriously susceptible to the sickness that plagued her on this side of the well. It explained her exhaustion and even her ghost's repeated comments at the growth of her appetite. The signs had all been hidden because Aki hadn't eaten much to begin with and hadn't slept much for years; everyone just assumed she was catching up.

The pieces finally clicking into place distracted him briefly from the conversation buzzing around him until a familiar unwanted face surfaced to block Mouse from view.

"Hey you stupid dogs," the wolf growled over the speakers. "If you don't come claim her in the next two days one of our tribe will do it. We'll not allow a pack female to fall to her own instincts to protect her pup. There are plenty of volunteers already." Kouga smirked from the screen, his eyes daring them to take their time. "I've already held the pack at bay far longer than I've wanted to. The others are already angry with me for letting her go so long."

Sesshoumaru's growl echoed down the connection to the other end of the line.

"Glad to see I won't have to hold them back much longer… And don't even think about forcing her," Kouga growled. "She's fragile now. If she allows a marking but nothing else, then nothing else is what you do, you hear me? Naraku did a number on her and she'll be a long time healing from it, don't make it worse you bastard!"

Sesshoumaru's growl cut off as the connection ended. He had more things to ponder. Things like what that wolf had just alluded to, things like what his own observations had suggested. The picture he was putting together was not pleasant and he hoped that he was wrong. He would see the truth for himself when he found her. He would make her spit out what Aki had experienced, After all, it wasn't good to let the poison remain inside to fester and rot.


	3. Down the Rushy Glen

Whoa! the weather's gone crazy this last week! We had six straight days of snow and we're still trying to get the temperature above fifty degrees. Bleh! Winter and Michigan need to learn when to say goodbye and space their visits a little farther apart. Everybody is getting really sick of it.

On top of that I took my GRE Saturday... and don't ask me how it went. because frankly my dears, I don't have a clue. Last time I came out of it with a sense of how I did and I was wrong, so I'm not going to guess! Unfortunately that leaves me with six weeks to wait, to worry, to ponder. I hate ETS there's no reason for it to take that long! It's on a scan tron sheet for crying out loud. They can run it through the machine and spit out the scores like no tomorrow... But it takes them SIX WEEKS to report them? Ridiculous! The jerks!

AS for my universities... WEll apparently one of them is under the misimpression that I'm foreign. Just yesterday I received a letter demanding my TOEFL scores. That's a TEST over English as a Foreign Language. BAsically they want to know if I'm proficient in my native language... HELLO? I'm American, Caucasion, from Michigan and submitted my application in ENGLISH! Last time they wanted my damn Imunization records. What's up with that?

So a lot of you are getting broadsided by my surprises huh? Yes Aki is pregnant. Yes it is Sesshoumaru's. Yes that was Kagura in that last chapter. I've left all kinds of clue for this I promise. You still haven't even gotten to the one surprise I gave no warning of in the fic. all the rest of them have been hinted at for friggin' ages. God I love the obvious yet subtle clues. I'm sorry if you miss them or don't miss them but miss their significance, but I did warn you I like to reuse plot devices. heheh!

But you don't want to hear that, you want to know what surprises come next! Well read on, and find out! (and I do apologize if I've left typos or something in the text, I am but one person with a lot to do and my typos seem to get worse when I'm tired. In fact it's normally an indication that it's time for bed! Heh!)

**Down the Rushy Glen**

Sesshoumaru had mostly resolved himself to allowing this form of transportation to whisk him around, as he already needed it to reach his destination in this modern world. That didn't mean he had to like it or even trusted it to stay in the air.

And then came the landing. Turbulence when it came (and went) had been a bit nerve-wracking the first time, but the flight was long and as the bouts of occurred again and again, he'd learned to dismiss them. But a landing could not be dismissed. The ground rising up to catch the metal bird was not something he could ignore and he refused to believe many people could. From the stomach dropping changes in altitude to the bounce as the landing gear touched down, the whole experience was decidedly unpleasant and he felt compelled to rule the metal bird way of travel inferior to the magical mode of transportation despite the differences of achievable speeds.

Speed wasn't everything.

The taiyoukai was more than slightly happy to place his booted feet on the hard pavement covering the ground where their jet decided to park itself. He would be even happier when he placed them on simple dirt as well. This modern ness was really getting on his last nerve. All he wanted at this point was to mark Aki and high tail it back to the saner side of the bone eater's well in as dignified and hasty a retreat as possible… or not, screw dignity.

Of course there were factors that would completely rule out the chance for speed. Aki might prove reluctant or shy away from the marking and the mating altogether. The allusive clues everyone was using pointed towards that direction, as everyone seemed to think she had cause. He would have to proceed with caution, more so than usual but he wouldn't give up.

And as speedy as mechanical flight had proven to be, it still took more time than he was willing to sit still for. But it was required in order to return to the well from this foreign soil, and he would not shirk from the necessity of this evil. Besides, the hopeful part of his brain thought it was possible Aki might be kind enough as to distract him all the way back to Japan.

The question was never raised that she wouldn't return with him. Sesshoumaru was nothing if not sure of himself, self-confidence shored up with the weight of fact. Aki simply could not sustain good health in this environment where the very air worked against it. She couldn't when she wasn't under the added strain of her pregnancy and she most likely wouldn't even think of remaining here for the threat it posed to the life she had nearly died protecting. More than once.

Actually it was this very tendency of hers that threatened her health most right now. Aki put the life of any child before her own instinctively. Apparently that instinct was buried more than skin deep as her strange healing patterns seemed to suggest. She was almost hard-wired to put the life of a child before all other things. Thus her body would sacrifice itself to see to the needs of the young she carried as yet unborn in her belly. She was a tenaciously pregnant woman; once she conceived she kept the new life.

Her pregnancy was something he didn't want to miss a minute of.

He'd been around and missed some of the earliest months, but both she and he had been oblivious to her condition. The rest was to be blissful expectation, and he wouldn't miss that for the world. He wouldn't…so long as she allowed him to mark her.

Going into a conversation of any kind with Aki with preconceived notions as to the outcome was not the way to successfully deal with the woman. She didn't conform to plans or strictures. Ultimatums were useless and prone to backfiring the moment given voice. There was no doubt in his mind that Aki could take him or leave him on any day of the week. She was not clingy or weak.

Sesshoumaru sighed absently mulling over the possible ways to approach this situation when the so-called "welcoming committee" appeared to drive quiet thought from his head.

"Kagome-nee-san!" One of the two constant companions of the Ookami prince yelled out across the see of blackened ground.

"Ginta! Hakkaku!" Kagome waved back. She had always been mildly fond of the unassuming wolves that looked up to her for some reason. She'd rather hoped nothing terrible had happened to them.

Their semi-ineffectual bumbling after Kouga left her of the impression that they were rather like loyal dogs rather than wild animals, with their endearing determination to stick to their prince like white on rice. It was nice to know they managed to survive Kouga's recklessness for at least five hundred years.

"Kagome-nee-san," the two caught her up in a hug that set Inuyasha to growling immediately, though he didn't bother to pick a fight.

These were not alpha males, and therefore no real threat. Still, he didn't like anyone touching her but him. And that included Shippou most days.

The two old wolves were accompanied by a third, much younger who looked apt to start a fight anyway. For the moment, his tempestuous expression and dark cloud mannerisms were completely ignored as Kagome tried to catch up on the last half millennia of pack goings and comings. Or rather, the two Ookami insisted on sharing about half the pack gossip with her. In practically two minutes flat, the two lesser wolves had Kagome caught up on which of her old friends had mated whom and to what purpose.

Hakkaku had mated to an older wolf willing to overlook his socially awkward mishaps such as saying the wrong thing or saying too much. He had been gifted with at least three pups two of which were actually doing better in the pack that Hakkaku ever could have done on his own.

Kouga had mated the wolf princess of the north, just as Ayame had always hoped he would. They'd managed to produce a formidable brood of offspring, as was the duty of any pack member of such powerful stock. Sadly, the she-wolf had been lost to them some two hundred years ago.

"Oh that's sad," Kagome commented, her eyes instantly filling with tears for the wolf she had barely known but greatly liked. "What happened?"

"When the first settlers came through they started killing the wolves," Hakkaku explained. "Bodies covered in furs and hunched over in the dark look like wolves."

"What was she doing out in the dark and hunched over for?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Obviously we aren't natives of this area," the previously silent sullen wolf broke in with a sneer. "The pack had to make overtures to the locals to become accepted."

"What's that got to do with-?" Kagome began in confusion.

"The locals they're talking about are wolves," Inuyasha snorted with a shake of his head.

"Ayame was doing her part to naturalize the pack to the area," Hakkaku explained. "She was introducing herself to the new wolves, checking on them."

"That particular den had lost its mother when she attempted to lead the hunters astray," Ginta elaborated. "Ayame was trying to make sure they survived. The hunters found her and the pups, she died protecting them."

"Did the wolves survive?" Kagome asked.

"Of course they did," the rude one scoffed. "We wouldn't still be here if mom hadn't."

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've been introduced," Kagome turned to the incredibly obnoxious brat. Truly she had meant to ignore him until Ginta and Hakkaku deigned to introduce him. She was unfamiliar with pack hierarchy and social rules regarding whatever she was considered. She was sort of an outsider and sort of not and she didn't want to offend either her old friends or this new acquaintance, but he just kept butting in on the conversation.

"And you won't be until he learns some manners," Ginta growled at the younger wolf. Sure the brat may have been one of Kouga and Ayame's get, but that didn't give him right to interrupt in the conversation of his elders, especially not if his intention was to go against the decisions of said elders for immature selfish reasons borne from ignorance. "He and many of the other younger pack males are completely against letting any outsiders near Aki in her state, especially males."

"Of course most of the pack is in love with Maya, and the fact that Aki saved her from Naraku makes a great impression," Hakkaku chuckled.

"I see no males here worthy of our pack female," the youth insisted rather stoutly.

"The only reason we let him come was because Kouga insisted," Ginta shrugged. "He is his only living son."

Kagome absorbed the information as she studied the hostile boy who appeared to be of a similar age to her. The still unnamed brat snarled at them all and she mentally shook her head. He had a lot to learn, and for the first lesson…

The Japanese ninth grader snapped out and grabbed the boy's ear. "Now listen here you little twit," she pulled him by the ear to a shady spot next to the parking lot they'd been approaching. "The only person who can judge if a male is worthy of a female is the female in question. You're going to have to learn that Aki is the only person who will run her life. Nobody, not you, your whole pack or the great gods in the mist will be allowed to step in and tell her what to do. Stop trying to take her choices away from her, moron!"

"Well said Kagome-nee-san," Ginta grinned.

"You think that was why Kouga made us bring him?" Hakkaku asked his brother in life.

"Who knows," The other shrugged.

Kagome let go of the wolf she'd held captive with a firm shove she knew wouldn't hurt him. "Kouga had a lot of trouble learning that lesson himself," the almost miko shrugged. "Never could take no for an answer," she muttered. "So where are we headed?"

"Ah, sorry about that," Hakkaku hastened to apologize. "The car is over this way."

"We've been camping out on Aki's property," Ginta answered the question. "She's got quite a bit of land a bit of a ways outside of town."

"How long a drive is a bit?" Loki demanded.

"Don't worry," Ginta smirked. "You'll only be in the car for maybe an hour."

Hakkaku shoved brat boy forward to open doors for their guests, "Do buckle up, Ginta's driving scares most people in and outside of the car."

"This coming from the same wolf who has yet to master the basic driving skills required to obtain a regular driver's license." Ginta muttered, unrepentant. "Aki's house is a huge two story deal. One side of it is taken up almost completely by windows."

"It allows for a lot of light, but also cuts down on the heating bill," Hakkaku added. "The big windows face south so they get as much sun during the day to help keep it warm in the winter."

"Aki designed it herself and paid to have it built," Ginta added. "It's comfortably far from the neighbors, which was probably taken in to consideration after the half a dozen attempts on her life when she was living in the town she grew up in." He sighed, "Even here the neighbors give her trouble whenever she goes to town. They tried giving us a hard time when we first moved onto the property."

"You wouldn't believe the crap they tried to pull," Hakkaku growled, angry at just the memory.

"It still surprises me that it was Maya that set them all straight," Ginta murmured in admiration. "She shook them up and laid their world on its side, and all without exposing the youkai."

"It doesn't surprise me," Hakkaku declared shortly. "Aki saved Maya from harm. She's her hero. I'm surprised there weren't any bodies to conceal after the things they did."

"But Maya's always so shy around strangers, especially males," Ginta pointed out.

"Which just tells you how angry she was," Hakkaku shrugged.

"Who is Maya?" Kagome asked. The wolves had been talking about this person almost nonstop like she should know her.

"I'm sorry Kagome-nee-san," Hakkaku apologized sincerely. "Before Aki defeated Naraku, the bastard had been attacking the girls of our pack. The females were abused in the most horrible ways," the wolf shuddered at the slice of horror that still cut him at the memory of those many scenes.

"One day," Ginta took up the explanation. "It appeared to be Maya's turn, only instead of us finding her dead and maimed by the bastard, we found her running in terror and covered in blood that wasn't her own. Aki took her place, it was Aki we found near the clearing that held the bloody wreckage of our brethren. Aki was the only female to have survived his attacks."

"Maya bonded to her instantly," Hakkaku added. "If Aki existed in the world, Maya could continue to fight her fears and pain in order to eventually heal. When Aki went through the well-"

"You stop that!" Loki growled. "They're not to know that part yet."

"Anyways," Ginta glared at the foreign youkai via his mirror. "Maya has grown to be a magnificent healer and she's rather protective of her patients, especially Aki as she is right now."

"Maya hasn't let Aki out of her sight," the rude brat declared with triumph. "She'll see through you unworthy bastards and bar you from even speaking to her."

Kagome reached out and smacked the back of his head. "There you go again! Aki won't let even Maya make decisions for her, fool!"

The youth whipped around in his seat to snarl at her only to find Inuyasha's claws pricking at his vulnerable throat. "Don't even think about it," the hanyou growled menacingly. "She ranks higher than your unworthy life and not even your wretched father would blame me for ending your stupidity."

"He's right you know," Ginta commented calmly, not even bothering to watch the situation unfolding in his review mirror. "You're old enough to know better, and the packs cannot afford to keep imbeciles around. Fools increase the risk of exposure and threaten the balance created by the packs, the native human tribes, and the native wolves. That you are Kouga's last living son is the only reason you have been tolerated to live so long without being sequestered in the snowy outreaches of Ookami territories." The ookami smoothly merged into another lane without looking back at the brat he was reprimanding. "I do not think you would survive the Arctics very long."

"There's no chance of getting cable all the way up there," Hakkaku nodded. "And you suck at rationing food."

"Is that _really_ necessary?" Kagome demanded.

"Actually," Ginta cocked his head to the side and gazed back at her through the mirror. "The elders had already called a council about it, but it was postponed the moment Aki showed up. Any pack female is more important."

"Poor guy," Kagome murmured in sympathy. In typical juvenile fashion the "poor guy" scoffed at her comment and turned away to hide his blush.

Inuyasha groaned. Whenever Kagome got like this it was bound to be trouble.

"No worries, Kagome," Hakkaku chuckled. "I'm sure now that you're here, you can drum some sense into his head."

"Yeah," Ginta smirked. "A miko's touch might be just what he needs. The native weather witches and such are just too easy on us. The whole beating you with love thing never crossed the ocean with us."

"I do not _beat _people!" Kagome protested.

"Uh huh, and you've never pounded Inuyasha into the ground before?" Ginta teased her.

"He's got a point," Inuyasha said to her teasingly.

"Shut up!" Kagome smacked his arm. Then she studied the boy hunching in the seat in front of her thoughtfully. "Although, the idea does have merit."

"Kagome," Inuyasha whined. The whole subduing necklace, while not his favorite thing, was kind of a link just between the two of them. He'd like to keep it that way.

"You guys could use something like those bracelets you make kids wear and set it to go off for a different set of behaviors," Kagome suggested.

"It's not a bad idea," Loki frowned in thought. "We might even be able to modify Aki's already modified pair."

Hakkaku looked puzzled back at them. "We don't have anything like that. We normally keep our young away from the public until they can be trusted to maintain the illusions required of pack members."

"In that case it might be better to pick somebody to train him and activate the restraints verbally like what I have on Inuyasha," Kagome shrugged.

"Wouldn't work," Kumiko declared, finally giving up on staring at the humans in the other cars being passed on the highway. If this was what passed for scary driving in the states, Hanako was the supreme queen of bad drivers over the whole universe. "Verbal keys are too easy to accidentally trigger and often instigate violent punishments, such as plummeting face first in the ground," the little phoenix snorted. "That would definitely end all secrecy in about a week."

"Good point," Kagome sighed.

"Well," Loki pondered out loud, "if they're already sequestering their young from the public face of their people, couldn't they also manage to pack him off somewhere with a trainer or tutor to work the kinks out of his behavior?"

Kagome shook her head, "The major problem with that is he wouldn't be in a situation where his bad behavior would come to light. He needs to be in social situations to learn the proper manners for those social situations." The teenager thought for a moment, "We could take him back to my home. My family and I could help fix his problems. My mom is just stellar at it because Inuyasha has never once been stupid enough to piss her off more than once."

"Shut up," Inuyasha grumbled lightly. If Kagome could upon occasion be scary when she was mad, her mom was _terrifying_ when provoked.

"And as we know what youkai are, you won't have to worry over much about him being allowed to expose the entire species or whatever," she finished as if Inuyasha hadn't spoken.

"Plus you'll have the added benefit of the Youkai gangs to keep on top of him too," Loki smirked. "It's been a long time since we've had to terminate someone for stupidity."

"Sounds good to me," Hakkaku shrugged. "But it's up to the elders to decide."

"And they won't even discuss it until after Aki's been properly taken care of," Ginta added pulling onto the exit ramp and stopping at the sign.

It was seemingly just an empty space with some random exit and on ramps for no discernable reason. Nothing was visible in any direction and the road was completely empty, a sharp contrast to the highway they'd just left. The car turned right and continued on its way.

Sesshoumaru stared out into the world from behind the glass, ignoring the conversation about ookami brats that probably _should_ be culled for the good of the pack. Perhaps he shouldn't be so quick to condemn the offspring of another person now that he was in the father-to-be category of life, but there was no way any child of Aki's would be so dim. It simply wasn't possible. That is, so long as Aki lived long enough to birth said child.

Which she would, he shook himself mentally. Aki wouldn't give up on life that easily. It was against her nature and her promise. She would not simply waste away when there was something she could do and another life on the line.

He just had to make sure he was part of that picture too and all would be well.

What he supposed to be Aki's great, glass walled house came into view as they turned off the road and onto a long driveway. Sesshoumaru could see from here that the house truly was incredibly large, but apparently they approached the house from the wrong side to see her great glass wall. He imagined it was quite a sight when the sun reflected off the shining surface of it.

AS they approached the building, bodies seem to stream from it like ants deserting a flooded ant colony.

"This does not look good," Ginta muttered as he pulled the big vehicle to a stop.

"Hey," Hakkaku called out the window to one of the bodies scurrying from the house. "What's going on?" That particular body rushed on without even acknowledging that a single word had been spoken.

"Don't worry about them," a quiet voice approached them. Mouse reached to help Kumiko out of the higher level of the vehicles step. "They just discovered that Aki has slipped free of their watch is all."

"What?" Ginta gasped, the color draining from his face.

"I told them it would happen," Mouse continued on without regard for the ookami's reaction. Instead she moved to walk Kumiko to the house.

Kouga growled at her as he approached the van. The little white healer got on his last nerve sometimes, and he hated when she was right. "Ginta! Hakkaku! Go join the search!" He moved to block the flow out of the side of the van.

Inuyasha growled in frustration, "Move fool, we have to find Aki!"

"No," Kouga growled firmly. "We have to find Aki, you have to wait until we do. There's no telling how you'll behave on a hunt in our territories 500 years after the last time you could hunt. Leave this to us."

"Father," the rude brat demanded the Ookami ruler's attention.

"You go in the house," the boy's father growled. "The rest of you as well."

"Not so fast wolf," Tuck declared, as he seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"This not time to argue!" Kouga grated at the other youkai. If the little healer was annoying, Tuck was infuriating.

"Then stop arguing," Tuck smirked back at him.

"Come on, Inuyasha," Kagome tugged at her hanyou and lead him to the house.

Loki had already headed that way and the sullen offspring of Kouga had dragged his feet the whole way there. All that remained by the van after Ginta and Hakkaku had disappeared on orders was Sesshoumaru, Tuck, and Kouga.

Kouga growled and disappeared as well to join the search for their missing pack female, sometimes he really hated that demon. But for Aki, they would have killed each other in war long ago.

"Go find her," Tuck encouraged Sesshoumaru quietly. "You know where she is without even knowing it." The other youkai gave him a cryptic smirk and headed back into the house.

Puzzled by the cook's words and annoyed that no one had thought to warn him that he had attended to Aki from one country to the next Sesshoumaru decided to start at the most logical place. He perched upon the roof of the great house and gazed across the landscape. He narrowed his eyes as he spotted something that seemed vaguely familiar before taking off in that direction. Perhaps that youkai he so loathed had been right?


	4. We Daren't Go Ahunting

WEll, Here it is. the much Anticipated and spoken of chapter 62. This is the chapter with the really cool citrusy alternative that you can request to read or request posted or what not. If I do end up posing the alternative chapter, it will not count on the schedule so you wouldn't have to wait all that extra time or anything.

now about this chapter, there is a takahashi character unmasked in this chapter. Aki's experience with Naraku is rehashed, and some silliness is involved... not necessarily in that order of course! And I'm not giving everything away here either!

Ah sweet bliss, the weather has finally warmed up... it won't stay that way of course, but it is a nice reprieve. I'm not going to discuss work, that's boring and tedious and furstrating and any number of other negative words. Instead I want to talk about - ACEN!

Anime Central is the big anime convention held in Chicago at the Hyatt Regency O'hare and the neighboring convention center and like last year, I'm going! Only this time, practically my entire family is going. (I'm still not certain if this is a good thing.) I'm going to be in costume as Kagura from Fruits Basket and possibly as Sumomo from Chobits. (I would dig out my Kanna costume but I have no idea where my fake mirror disappeared to and my sister kind of owns the wig.

I will be taking with me whatever fic I happen to be working on ( becuase I go nowhere without it...I'm pathetic aren't I?) And will probably be carrying it around in my Fruits Basket messenger bag. Feel free to say hi. make a comment about the fic and attempt to stalk me from then until I move to grad school. (sorry, Stalkers don't scare me. My roommate my first senior year had a stalker, he was creepy but harmless. She lost him when she went back home.) Now I'm not knocking that some stalkers are perfectly deserving of restraining orders and serious legal consequences, but sometimes they're not and I'm pretty sure any stalker I got would be that kind... if I ever had one (and not the one I teased for always bringing over his Shounen Jumps because he had no one else to harass about it. Seriously he thought DBZ was the best ANime ever!)

CAbbage patch doll look-alikes never have that problem. just like I'm not intimidating (or at least not particularly) and hardly a party girl. Not to cast aspersions on the honor of party girls everywhere, but when you're partying, just how observant are you? You may not have noticed, but spending so much time in bars and parties full of people you don't know really opens the doors to freaky stalkers.

Then you say, "There's no way you can notice and remember everybody at a con!" to which I reply, I don't have to. I don't live in Illinois and I don't plan to stay in the midwest much longer. How many stalkers actually bother to move cross country after espying a person once in a large convention where most everyone is a part of the anonymous throng.

Such a weird authors note...

Anyways, thought I'd give a heads up. There is one more chapter (not counting the Alternative chapter) left. If you feel like asking quetions about specific characters (Like a lot of you asked about Kouga's nameless brat) feel free to ask. It's the only way you'll get answers after chapter 63!

**We Daren't go a-Hunting**

Some days it was just too exhausting to continue the fight to be distinctly yourself. It was a great battle everyday to be true to yourself when it was impossible to be certain of just who or what that "self" was. And, in a world filled with so many other _different_ people all striving to do the same regardless of those around you, sometimes you just wanted to give it all up and be ordinary because extraordinary was entirely too much work.

The stronger the individual, the longer between these urges to just give over and become that illusory state of being that is "normal". No thought would be required when dressing in the morning. No words would be necessary to express opinions that weren't any different from anybody else. But even the exceptionally strong-willed and extraordinary people fall into that lethargy created by the effort of being themselves against all other hassles in life.

Of course these people generally tend to only wish for a break from the everyday requisite energy stealing efforts to remain identifiably themselves. Sometimes a break from the perpetuated identity or developing identity is required before a complete break down occurs. During periods of extended duress and stress, the need for these breaks becomes more and more frequent.

Sesshoumaru was quite familiar with this phenomenon, having been stuck as himself for the greater part of several centuries. He had, of course, had his times where he desired to be anyone but himself. It was natural and necessary for his sanity. So it wasn't surprising he could recognize the signs in someone else.

For it was obvious that was just how Aki was feeling in the picture she painted in the grass. She lay on the side of the hill that sloped down from the ever so familiar tree, her shoes set neatly by her side and her closed eyes staring directly up at the sky. She did not appear happy nor did she appear necessarily sad for there was no real expression on her gentle face.

He could tell she wasn't sleeping, and her brow lacked the defining wrinkles of thought. So he knew he wouldn't be interrupting anything when he moved to cast a shadow directly over her face.

Aki's face scrunched up in mild confusion before carefully cracking one eye open. She didn't give him some quip about blocking her light. She didn't ask him to move. She just accepted that he was there and closed her eyes, smoothing the lines from her face.

So he was there, big deal.

Sesshoumaru glanced up at the willow tree, the constant witness to all of their shared dreams. He had glimpsed it from the roof of her house, surprised to find that the great giant was real and actually even larger than it had appeared in their sleep. It's presence left him fighting the feeling that this too was a dream.

On the other hand, if this were a dream Sesshoumaru would know how to proceed. Without the worry of some uninvolved party stumbling in to interrupt some important and private moment, he would be free to step down from being the lord he was and he could just be himself. He could reach out and…

As Aki continued to ignore him and pretty much everything else it occurred to him that this one place was where she felt most comfortable. Why else would these very real images routinely occur in their shared dreams? Only, perhaps this place may not have managed to produce its comforting magic if she still felt the need to detach herself from her reality. In which case…

That clinched it, if the real place couldn't offer her the comfort she needed to relax in her own skin as herself then perhaps if it were more like a dream…

Sesshoumaru sat in the grass beside her like he did in that first dream so long ago. He gazed down to where the field of play had been and captured her hand where it lay on the ground.

Aki tensed immediately, her eyes flashed open and she attempted to withdraw her hand from his. His sudden closeness had tripped the instinctive fears she had developed after…_that_.

Sesshoumaru neither let go of her hand nor dragged it closer to him. Her fears as yet were blunted rather like an encompassing shield around her. Right now, anyone to get too close would draw the same reaction. In proceeding forward here he would have to be careful not to let her feelings blacklist _him_ specifically. The initially reaction was reflex only, something that could be curbed with time and positive reinforcement. For now, he would have to wait for her to catch up with it and consciously subdue the impulses.

When she finally did he threaded his fingers through hers and squeezed her precious hand.

Sesshoumaru glanced down the grassy hill and over the wide field that ended on the banks of a swollen creek. The water was clouded with the debris it had picked up in the first swift currents produced by the thawing of winter somewhere up a mountain from here. The water rushed by, swirling and tumbling, pushed along by the water behind it and pulled by the direction of gravity and the slope of the land. It was a good metaphor for this situation really.

The two of them full of the debris left in the wake of her curse and Naraku's tainted plans. They too were being pushed and pulled by forces out side of them. But there was hope. Wherever there was Aki, there was hope for him. Suddenly he realized that sometimes she might need something like that too; she might need someone to show her the way to hope occasionally too.

"Do you imagine them at play here?" He spoke first, reminding her of a dream that came after she broke free of the nightmare that was her memory.

She blinked at him, shook her head and turned away, but her fingers curled to hold his hand in return. She was letting him know that she recognized his effort despite its ineffectiveness. Aki took a deep breath and sighed before she finally spoke to him.

"When I was very young, before I had brothers, my parents and I would pack some food in the car and we would drive out into the country as soon as the weather was warm enough to sit outside with a light jacket," her voice was quiet and it lacked the something in its tone. "We would find a hill with a tree on it in the middle of some unplowed field we figured nobody would mind us sitting under and had a picnic. After we'd eaten our fill of whatever we had brought, mom would curl up under the tree with her latest book and Dad and I would take one of the blankets and spread it out where the branches no longer blocked our view of the sky. We would lie there and stare up at the clouds, picking out the shapes in the sky and pointing them out to each other before they vanished." Her gaze turned back to the sky before she closed her eyes against the sad expression that attempted to conquer her face. "They were our sky animals. Creatures far removed from us, fluffy and constant. When a string of bad days threatened to overwhelm me, wherever I was, I could look up and they were there." Her grip tightened on his hand again and he noted her claws pricked him as she fought off the emotions threatening to taint her blank expression. "Today I looked for them," she whispered, trying to disguise her uneven breathing. "I could not find them."

Sesshoumaru squeezed her hand. In her simple words she gave voice to sentimental nonsense he might have scoffed at from any other person, but this was Aki. He knew there was more to what she had said. She was telling him how she felt and it was not something to push aside or disregard.

Aki was expressing a fear or rather, many fears. Her inability to connect with a memory she shared with her father a memory of childhood brought home the fact that she was beyond the ability to believe in the simple illusion of security a child feels in the protective arms of firm belief and imagination. She may never be able to sincerely feel safe just because caring arms are wrapped around her. It was a scary world to move into when that last bubble of childhood belief burst completely.

But she also worried that in her inability to catch the magic of the memory that always gave her comfort she could not properly pass it on. These "sky animals" had meant much to her and since she could not introduce her very precious father to the child she was to have, she had hoped to pass on a special gift that he had given to her. But she could not retrieve it and this had frightened her.

Sesshoumaru squeezed her hand again and lay back on the grass beside her. The clover smelled rich with its new life, despite his bruising it. He raised his eyes to the sky that had made her precious "sky animals" so difficult to find. It was a simple game, childish and silly, but he could help her with this just as he would help her with everything else so long as she let him.

His eyes settled on a cloud at random and studied it. "Rabbit," Sesshoumaru pointed to the twin points over a rounded ball.

Aki jerked to stare at him before following his arm to look back up at the sky.

"Tchah, it is gone now," the inu lord shook his head before finding another cloud formation to study. "Rooster."

This time Aki caught it before the cloud's movement wiped out the wispy tail feathers. Each time he pointed out some simple animal shape she would follow his lead and catch it before it disappeared. Soon the old excitement of the game lead her to participating more actively. "There, that one is a dragon!"

"It looks more like a cow."

"Are you kidding? It has wings and a long tale, it's a dragon!"

"Dragons are slender, that is most definitely not."

"The European belief is that dragons are fat, it's a dragon."

"I am not European and have actually met and fought dragons upon occasion, it's a cow."

"Have you ever seen a cow?"

"Of course," he scoffed.

"How many cows have you seen with long tails and wings?" she demanded.

"I saw my first one today," Sesshoumaru snorted. "They are 'sky animals' no one said they had to be real."

"Just for that, that one looks like you," Aki declared.

"That in no way resembles an inu," he scoffed. "It still resembles a cow."

"Just remember who it was who called you a cow!"

He glowered silently up at the sky. He couldn't really be upset about it though. Not once through the entire game did their hands separate. He still held hers, her fingers still grasped at his, she was comfortable and this was good. But Aki needed to go a little bit further.

"Aki," he murmured gently.

"That one looks like a fat squirrel I met, what was his name again?"

"What did Naraku do to you?" he asked her directly. Trying to come to the topic in a less direct manner would never work. She could control a conversation without much effort and she would definitely be reluctant to talk about it no matter how he brought it up.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Aki, you have to spit the poison out, otherwise it will destroy you and I'll tear that tree you turned him into apart one tiny little leaf at a time."

"Sesshoumaru-"

"Tell me, Let me help you fix it."

She blinked up at the sky, she was in a familiar comforting place, the sky was full of fluffy, harmless friends; if there was anywhere that could stand a chance of combating the darkness that hovered over her memories of that struggle it was here. Aki was aware that talking was supposed to help the healing process and while it hadn't necessarily helped with her curse this was a different kettle of fish altogether. This could be recovered from but she couldn't do it alone. She had to trust someone and the person she was comfortable with was holding her hand.

Sesshoumaru would never tell anyone more than they needed to know. He kept his secrets close to his chest and he would keep hers too, she knew this.

Fred had been like that when he was alive, but since he was dead she didn't want to share things like this anymore. She didn't want to keep her dead friend from moving on and the less she showed she needed him around, the more she relied upon others, the sooner he was apt to do so.

Still, she would really rather not talk about this at all.

Aki closed her eyes to retreat to a place where the world did not exist as anything more than a far distant memory and there was no tree or hill or youkai tugging insistently on her hand. Sesshoumaru wasn't going to let her hide from him or this, and while she wished it wasn't so, she did realize that he was doing this more for her than for him. With a reluctant sigh she opened unseeing eyes ad squeezed his hand. To relive this nightmare was painful, but she wasn't one to be conquered or controlled by her fear. She would not give up so easily.

"Fred and I had been traveling for days, weeks without direction. I think we started with a fairly definite path before us but Naraku's little toys," she spat in annoyance, "Pushed and pulled us away from whatever we had intended to do until there was only us preventing them from doing more damage than necessary before they were snuffed out properly. Each was different in everything except an unsupported desire for destruction and an untenable attraction to do something to or with me. There was always something to come at us. It seemed as soon as one was disposed of another rose to wreak havoc in its place. It was exhausting and time consuming leaving little time for food and sleep. I was getting rather annoyed with it all, so when I sensed that the disturbance at the edge of my range was the _real_ troublemaker I swung into action with little thought beyond possibly ending the trail of mayhem for longer than a few hours."

Sesshoumaru sat up to watch her expression, careful not to lean closer to her. Hedging in on her space would set her off, possibly ending what she had begun before it was time to do so. Her introduction of the subject was a stall and he knew it. She hadn't needed to set things up, but Aki was still reluctant to speak on the main subject so he wasn't surprised.

"I sent Fred for help, already sensing the mortality of the bastard's actions against whomever it was he deigned to be worthy of it and headed off to intercept," Aki closed her eyes against the images beginning to build behind her mind's eye. "I didn't make it in time to save most of the wolves. By the time I could see what was happening the last of the males were hitting the ground in pieces. There was only Maya left, frozen in shock and horror," Aki shook her head, ignoring the tears that pricked at her eyes. She had never much cared for carnage; it was such a waste in her mind, a waste of energy and life. "He moved to strike at her and I got in the way. I yelled at her to run even as his hand came down." Aki shuddered and Sesshoumaru squeezed her hand once more. "The blow was meant to have taken her down and it would have but I was much taller than she was and it hit too low to really knock me to the ground." Her other hand reached up to finger the area around her neck as if expecting something to be there. "I managed to keep my feet and tried to lead him in the other direction than she had run in. He kept hitting at me and I couldn't seem to dodge. I didn't get very far before he finally had me on the ground, trapped and still fighting him. It didn't seem like I was doing much damage to him and I never did see any recognition in his eyes. It was like he wasn't there, not really," she swallowed at the memory. "It was when he dug his fingers into some of the wounds he'd already opened on me that the pain really began to register and then the miasma slid into it, numbing the pain and dulling my movements. I fought against it, against him the whole time even while," her throat closed up. Sesshoumaru dragged her hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of it tenderly. "Even when he was inside of me." Her tears finally spilled over. Her heart clenched at the strangely benumbing memories as though the recollection could fill her again with the miasma to usurp her ability to fight effectively once again.

Sesshoumaru lay back down to ponder what Aki's experience had done to her. Naraku had done more than just assault her; he had taken away her ability to fight against what happened to her. The situation made it look like she had volunteered for the attack by stepping in to save the child. Such things could break a woman, but Aki's saving grace was that she had unknowingly saved her own child from harm, protected the unborn pup from possible trauma and termination under the vile bastard's onslaught. She was most wondrous and magnificent.

"Aki," Sesshoumaru murmured as her tears began to subside. "He cannot hurt you again, you saw to that. You defended Maya from something she may never have recovered from and you protected the life you didn't even know you carried."

"But I-"

"No one can remain undefeated forever," he cut off her protest. He rolled her to sprawl over top of him causing her to tense up at the suddenness of it. He wanted her undivided attention. "Even this Sesshoumaru was bested by Naraku in the last battle. Only you saw it through to victory. Only you defeated him and gave him what he deserved."

"Then why didn't I do it before?" she shook her head and look to the grass past his shoulder. The last of her tears pelted him with her confusion and upset.

It was a valid question he supposed. If Aki had always been able to defeat Naraku, why hadn't she just done it and gotten it over with. But then, such riddles were best left to the fates to figure out. "Perhaps you had not realized the need for such drastic measures," Sesshoumaru smoothed her hair from her face, tucking it behind a gently pointed ear. "Such an absolute and irreversible punishment you would not deliver it lightly, you simply needed to find proof that it was warranted. That and you are still learning your capabilities." She sighed and closed her eyes, still hovering on her hands and knees above him. "Aki," she opened her eyes to look at him. "May I mark you?" His clawed hand trailed down the side of her neck to the place he wanted to sink his fangs in.

Aki shivered at his touch and cocked her head to the side. "Why?"

Sesshoumaru studied her green eyes carefully. He could answer any number of ways from declaring her need for a mate in order to carry her pup to term successfully to calling on her promise gifted to him so long ago. Each would probably gain him a mark on her right now, but none would give him what he truly wanted. He wanted Aki always, making his life interesting, seeing things with her strange view, showing him new ways of dreaming and new paths towards strength. He didn't want her just for the next year and half to the end of her pregnancy. He wanted her longer and trapping her into it by using such excuses as obligation and the threat of death would not give him that.

The inu youkai slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her down to him despite her slight resistance. He settled his mouth gently over hers and kissed her firmly despite the rigidity that threaded through her body at the contact. A few moments of gentle unobtrusive passes over her precious mouth she began to relax and kiss him back. He pulled her down further so that his lips rested near her ear. He whispered words so sweet and precious she finally allowed herself to settle against him, closing the space she'd kept between them. Again he asked her, "May I mark you?"

"Yes," she answered and his fangs settled into the crook of her neck and drew blood from the skin he found there. "What does it mean?" she asked him as he fought the urge to lick it up or in anyway taste what spilled from the wounds so freely.

He smirked as he drew back to rub his cheek against hers gently. "The first mark is like the signature on a contract. I offer to you the required energies to create and nurture a life to its birth. I offer you my aid in the protection of that life from before conception to the termination of gestation at birth. In return you offer your faithfulness and willingness to carry that life." Sesshoumaru smoothed his hand down her back. He truly missed her long hair and vowed that he would see it again. "Without this contract, conception cannot occur and gestation cannot come to a successful end."

"You mean I would have lost it," she leaned back up to stare into his eyes. "_They_ didn't tell me that." By the way she said the word it was clear that "they" were the gods that habitually put her back to rights.

"It is a miracle you have managed to carry it this long outside of a contract," Sesshoumaru answered gently. "May I mark you again?"

She blinked at him in surprised amusement. "What would that mean?"

"I get to keep you until the pup is old enough to defend himself," he smirked.

"I am not a possession you can-" He kissed her firmly to cut her off. Her eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Did I mention you get to keep me all to yourself?" he offered to placate her.

She shook her head with a laugh. "You're incorrigible."

"May I?" he asked again.

"I warn you, it won't always be perfect," she smiled with a shake of her head.

"Perfection is boring," he snorted. "I should know, I'm perfect."

"It won't always be peaceful."

"Peaceful is boring."

"Since when have you wanted interesting?" Aki demanded.

"Since you," Sesshoumaru answered shortly. He wanted Aki in his life. Aki meant interesting therefore interesting was what he wanted.

She sighed with a smile. "Okay then."

He rubbed his cheek against hers affectionately before settling near the other marking that was still seeping on her skin. He pressed his teeth into her, holding her tight against him; she wasn't going to escape from him for a long while yet. He held her a while longer, tempted to bring up the last marking and the other intimacy involved with most mating contracts but refrained from it. He felt it best not to press his luck.

"I suppose I'd better head back to the house now," Aki sighed. "I imagine everybody is panicking and wondering where I've gone."

Sesshoumaru withheld a chuckle, "They were already looking for you when we arrived."

"What? And you let me stay out here?" Aki gasped. "Sesshoumaru!" she sat back and smacked at his arm.

He growled at this attack on his person and sat up to capture her lips in a kiss. "You needed the break from them. Besides, you're little healer and the cook knew I would find you."

"They have names you know," Aki scolded him.

"Not ones worth remembering," Sesshoumaru scoffed. "Both are obviously made up."

"So is mine, you know," Aki snorted.

"Yes, but yours is an actual name and used for the purpose of overcome hardship and your past," Sesshoumaru watched her don her shoes.

"So was Mouse's," Aki stood up. "After all, no one wants to be tied to Naraku for the rest of their life."

"Could she not have come up with a better name though?" he returned. "Even Kanna was a better name than Mouse."

Aki shook her head at him. "It was a name she chose for herself, that makes it infinitely better. It is also unassociated with anyone particularly homicidal or evil."

"Anyone else I should know about?" He asked as he stole her hand on the journey away from the old tree and the hillside and the glen-like area at the bottom.

"Not really. You really shouldn't have known about the others as it was," she answered absently as he threaded their fingers once again, pushing energy from him into her with each step. It was a weird sensation but failed to be even the least bit uncomfortable even so.

The future stretched out before her, uncertain and unknown. She could ask anyone of them, Kanna, Kagura, or even Tuck to tell her what the future would bring for her, but that would take some of the joy in it away. Besides, whatever the future past held for her was fine, because she wouldn't be alone in it for a long, long time. It would be hard to get past the fears Naraku had poisoned her with, but she would get over them. She was sure to argue and fight with Sesshoumaru in the future, but they would work through them. Just like life, Aki was determined to move forward while not forgetting where she had been. She would never forget the curse or when it had ended. She would never forget the hardships while she enjoyed the rewards of which there was surely to be plenty if the constant feeling of Sesshoumaru pushing energy into her was any indication.

He was determined she would be happy, almost whether she liked it or not. It was such a funny thought she laughed happily infectious and bright with thoughts of a future tied to her inu lord.

Typed and Written: March 20, 2007


	5. For Fear of Little Men

This is the end...well, it's more of an epilogue really. All the major secrets that I felt like revealing (and that the story allowed for me to reveal) are now to be fully disclosed. Finally you get the big surprise I've been hinting at. finally you find out who the last Tumiko Takahashi character in diguise is. Nobody even guessed at it. REally, I would've thought it was obvious. heh! So funny.

And so I write the last AN for this fic. It's really sad you know? I've been posting this one fic for over a year. and I've managed to make some awesome friends! It's been a long year. I wasn't sure I'd ever get this thing finished, but now that I have...well it's certainly a boost of confidence!

A while back I hinted at another fic I've been working on. Everytime I think I'm actually getting somewhere, some form of block or other leaps up to hit me in the head. It's sad too because when I first began writing it I just poured out 6 or 7 chapters with no trouble... then I hit chapter 10 and... well I won't go into how many times I had to restart it. Hopefully I'll have it done and started posting it before I leave for grad school in the fall. It would definitely be awesome after all.

As for grad school... well I'm still in limbo. No school has yet said a definite yes or no yet. Everybody seems to be waiting for my GREs. It's painful that they do that you know. And it's difficult that I have to wait 6 weeks for the score report for a test I took on a scan tron, but that's the way it is and in the meantime I'll just work and write and see how it goes. Maybe I'll take a creative writing class... It may come as a shock, but I've never taken one, though I helped my roommate with hers. Hell we came up with so many story ideas she _still_ hasn't written them all. Don't ask. I'll talk your ear off.

Enjoy this final chapter. Let me know what you think and don't be afraid to drop me a line sometime. REread as many times as you want and I'll "see" you around. Maybe after I've made my attempt at something original if not sooner!

Oh and just because I did it at the end of my last fic,

This person writing another fic would be:

a) a reason for reading.  
b)a reason to avoid it.  
c)a matter of indifference.

Goodbye for now lovely readers, it's been a blast. Hmm, maybe I could be tempted with a few side stories to this though. spoofs and whatnot. I did leave a lot out after all!

**For Fear of Little Men**

Tuck watched as the young Sesshoumaru and even Younger Aki disappeared into the well for the last time. Kanna stood by to seal the well properly now that the timelines were as balanced as they ever would be. Three on this side and three just sent to that. At least that's what she insisted had to happen and in her strange way of knowing things, they'd not been foolish enough to argue that. Sesshoumaru, Aki and the pup she carried had to go to the past and Inuyasha, Kagome and the Naraku tree stayed here. History had shown that this was what happened.

He had just forgotten the reasons that manufactured this particular end. Inuyasha and the Naraku tree could have been just as easily sent through the well as Aki and her child. But Aki's health demanded a cleaner environment despite the heightened dangers on that end. Kanna insisted that if Aki were exposed to them over the slow increase of time, she would be fine by the time her life circled back around to this time once again. That, and the marking required the female stay with her mate.

Those were the reasons given to persuade them to leave things this way and Tuck had not questioned them when he was looking at it from that end of the spectrum. But Tuck was no longer so young and unknowing. He was not ignorant of the suffering one such as Aki would be put through just from the knowledge of what was to come.

There was many a time when she knew bad things were to come, revolutions to be had, wars to be fought, and she could say naught of their coming. She could not warn Shippou from his wanderings in the latter half of the eighteenth century. And it was painful to watch as she stayed up late at nights full of worry for a child she had taken on in place of another as they waited for word as to whether he had successfully made it through the violence that had erupted in the country of France.

She could not warn him away from taking their daughter, their precious second child less than a century old, through the American countryside slightly before that. God if only he had listened to her reluctance to let them go. She had not been able to give a reason for him not to take the child or to not go at all, but she had all but begged they cancel the trip altogether.

Sesshoumaru hadn't listened to her; over the years she'd expressed many unexplained periods of reluctance to travel through areas. She'd never told him why and it had angered him slightly that she had kept such secrets from him. After that trip he'd understood. After he'd taken their child into the danger she'd known was there and returned only with the sad knowledge that Aki had been right had he fully understood.

Aki had been taught through all her years of school as a child about many things, reading, ciphering, science and history. It was the history that tormented her so and it was her quiet warnings he'd failed to understand. Those times were dark, but she'd survived them. She'd lost her appetite but he'd helped her through.

Like all the other times their adventures together took a turn for the unpleasant or the painful, they saw each other through.

The worst had come at the beginning of the twentieth century. The first forty years or so had been hell. Aki had become a really picky eater ten years before the first shot was fired in the First World War. Sesshoumaru had taken to hunting up recipes and taught himself cook in order to tempt her to eat. AS he started to get really good at it she dubbed him Tuck and the name stuck.

He'd never even realized it until then, that he and the cook he'd been so suspicious of was himself. He'd expressed this thought to her one night in her last pregnancy, the pregnancy that came after the Second World War. She'd just given him a warm smile and rubbed at the growing indication of life on her front. He suspected she'd known all along.

In total Aki had gifted him with three children, the first of which, the one she was pregnant with now wasn't even their child by blood. It was a phoenix, and a more annoying brat there never was.

Haku, it seemed, had been so impressed by Aki in the short time he'd known her after his death he had chosen her to be his next mother regardless of who the father happened to be. Sesshoumaru hadn't been sure if he should feel insulted by this or not until the whelp was old enough to do more than suckle and sleep. Then he'd known the little beast for what he was.

The moment the child could grasp onto her hair or clothing that was all he did. It was fair impossible to get Aki alone that first hundred years after his birth. The little imp would allow no one to garner her attention unless it was another child she had taken into her care, and sometimes even that wasn't allowed.

As the boy grew older, time Sesshoumaru could claim Aki to himself became less frequent until all he could do was count down the days until he could kick Haku off his lands and try again for a child of his and Aki's blood. He should have known better. The phoenix reached two hundred and away he was sent but at great cost in the long run.

Tuck shook his silver head. Aki had thrown a fit the moment she found out the boy had been removed from her keeping and in the heat of her anger she gathered up the remaining children she had claimed as her own and she too left his company. It took him two years to find her again and three months beyond that to persuade her to let him mark her again.

He left the wooden house built to protect the old well to Kanna and her chanting. It was not business he needed involvement in anyway.

It was that second mating contract that produced their ill-fated daughter. She had been so precious and adorable. Like her mother she was quick with her words and her little green eyes seemed to catch everything. Like her father she had almost instantly hated Haku when she first met him at twenty-five.

His respite from the phoenix was really, only fifty years. Why he had thought it would last longer he didn't know. Luckily for him, Haku singed his bridges with his chosen mother almost instantly upon reuniting with her.

Apparently the love of reading she passed on to all her wards had helped this prodigal son stumble upon a piece of literature he quite liked, something about Oedipus or what not. In any case, Haku took it, or parts of it, as his gospel and desired to push them into being with his own mother. A handful of words to the woman that had carried him from the ashes of his death and she'd laid him out cold on the ground.

Aki was apparently against incest, not that the boy had ever given up. A more determined suitor there never was, unless Sesshoumaru counted. Which he didn't because Sesshoumaru had never been an unwanted suitor.

Aki's third child had been born in the late forties, along with all of the humans born in celebration at the end of the war. He'd thought at least then she'd be willing to travel to her native country. He knew she missed it and he desired their son to know the people from which he'd come. It was obvious to him that the humans had no desire to engage in war to that magnitude for a long while.

Aki had again refused, this time with a rueful smile. She'd surprised him but this time gave him a reason. So close to her original time she feared accidentally changing something important. It would be so easy to change something monumental, something that could erase her very existence.

Sesshoumaru pondered this and realized that there was a possibility of doing something much worse, something that would completely change Aki's life and keep her from ever needing to move to Japan and through the well.

Even so, he convinced her to meet her family. Tricked her into it more like. She never got to know them or really talked with them, but she met all the important members in their course. The way Sesshoumaru saw it, it was inevitable, and it was good for their son.

Their son who had failed to grow at a reasonable rate…

None of Sesshoumaru and Aki's children had matured as quickly as she had growing up as a human, but with each successive birth before the last, they had grown more quickly than this last son.

He had watched as decades passed and Aki taught their boy how to dance each of the new crazes and never once did he grow tall enough to look over her shoulder. Sesshoumaru watched and he worried. Aki's health, while not as severe as the first time he had seen her in her own time, was not particularly strong. While her healing ability had turned out to be excellent when she wasn't pregnant and low on energies, as the various pollutions began to increasingly fill the air more of her energy was diverted to cleaning her air and healing from what damage was still incurred despite her instinctive efforts. He feared she would physically be unable to properly shield a child with such constant "special" needs as their son and his slow growth.

So, after forty years of no observable change he approached Kanna. The dead miko had stuck around long enough to see through the end of Aki's first pregnancy and trained her replacement, just as she had promised. Kanna had been that replacement, and her unique gift for healing had never been understood by anyone but Aki. Only Kanna had continued to heal throughout the wars and manufacturing changes and only she had bothered to develop new ways of healing as advances were made to allow them. Consequently, she had discovered a way to speed limb regeneration in youkai too stupid to keep their limbs intact.

Other healers had expounded upon her method to create a "cure" for his son's unique ailment.

Kanna had been against it. Her reasons had seemed ridiculously inane and unsupported. AT least when compared against his worries for Aki. The treatment would not harm his son and he argued that the boy could not _want_ to seem so young for so much of his life.

He and the healer had argued about it, back and forth for nearly a decade when the healer put forth the idea of taking care of the child herself if he was so reluctant to let him grow at his own rate. Sesshoumaru had completely refused the first time it was brought up, but as it was obvious the healer who had been so slow to age herself would not administer the treatment he desired and it eliminated his fears for Aki's health he conceded to the boy moving in to the youkai house of healing that had been Mouse's domain since its inception.

Aki had stayed barely long enough to see the boy removed from her care. She'd spoken not a word to him as she turned and left. Their contract severing the moment the child's care was no longer theirs to share.

Tuck had never known such prolonged torment or fear in his long, long life. He'd feared she would do herself harm until he remembered her promises made long before they'd met and reinforced at the first opportunity after they returned through the well. Well, actually he'd promised that so long as she kept her promise to never die easy he promised not to die first… After Kikyou tried to stick him with a holy arrow for not returning the pieces of Aki's soul sooner. The demon slayer had gotten in a few good blows as well, upset that her brother's sacrifice had not been treated more respectfully. He had not bothered to fight back, he deserved it and Aki hadn't bothered to hold them back. But she had not joined them either.

It wasn't until he met the young Aki right after her youkai blood had been exposed that he remembered about her curse. Remembered its deadly side effects. At first he'd believed the curse had not struck _his_ Aki because neither he nor their children had died. Then he remembered a half forgotten conversation in the snow between Aki and her ghost, one where she apologized for not dieing. One in which she'd declared that if she had died, they wouldn't have.

It was his constant nightmare. One he had no way of combating for he had no way of locating her, of checking on her. Mouse held a grudge against him for wanting to interfere with the natural growth of his son. Data usually denied they shared blood at all and Loki's people were wary about him since the ruckus over territories arose after the young Aki had been identified. They still didn't trust that he had refused Windy's bid to take over their stewardship of that section of Tokyo for no reason they could see.

They didn't know he'd already known Loki was to have the care of Aki's residence. They didn't need to know He'd not supported Kagura once she confessed doubt in her ability to see Aki, to know what was coming and not attempt to warn her.

He sympathized with her, he did. Had Aki even once Asked what was to come he would have told her unable to deny her anything in his joy to be in her presence after such a long time without it. His Aki had left him for nearly a decade before and nearly that long before that she had not really been with him.

Tuck finally made it down the steps in front of the shrine. The way had never seemed so steep or so long as when it was his turn to leave her behind.

In front of him was his parked car, though the metal carriage was not alone. Windy stood before him, her hip leaning against the passenger side door as she played with her fan absently. Her long time partner in life sat tensely on the hood of his car staring down the road that lead to places other than here.

"Is she gone?" Hanako asked. The youkai bunny had long ago given up on obtaining Aki's heart for herself. It hadn't taken more than two hundred years for it to finally sink in. By then she had formed a steady relationship with the wind youkai that held a similar feeling for Aki. It was why they had lasted so long. Each understood that their first love was Aki and neither would argue about it.

Tuck nodded solemnly as he leaned against the car next to the fidgeting wind demoness.

Hanako heaved a great sigh, "Finally," she breathed and the taiyoukai quirked an eyebrow at her. She didn't bother to elaborate. True she may live on his lands, and Kagura may be one of his stewards as it were, but the people under them, the lost children that flocked to them were theirs. And she'd found that gay men weren't that perverse. At least, not as perverse as every other male, she tended to look after them more. They tended to need more care. Hanako snorted and glanced meaningfully at her partner.

Windy sighed and flicked a folded piece of paper up between her index and middle finger and hold out towards the inu. "Just a brief warning," she began as he took it from her with a puzzled expression. "She's exhausted. She's been fighting that curse for the last three years for all of us and just received the okay to stop."

His gaze at the demoness took on a strong light of confused hope as the two females moved away from his car and down the road. Tuck watched them, one Aki's adopted daughter the other her would-be lover. If they had known where she was all this time, there was no fear that harm had befallen her, as neither would allow it.

He climbed into his car and finally glanced down at the paper they'd slipped to him. An address was written on one side and nothing more. He didn't need anything more. Sesshoumaru had watched Tokyo grow up from its infancy as a couple small human villages sprawling into each other over time. It was strange to watch as things matured into the way they were now. He knew Aki had been plenty happy when some of the products she'd been born with had begun showing up in the world.

She'd been very good at investing in some of the strangest and most farfetched things. He could remember when she bought into Scott's toilet paper. Oh the incredulous comments she had received over that. Or the money she'd invested in Hershey and manufactured toothbrushes. No one had believed those would take off, and then they did. Of course Aki had made sure to invest in companies he was certain she'd known would go out of business to suspicions down. And the money she earned had been used to set up orphanages in several different countries. She'd also made sure to supply the wolves with the money needed to buy up the land they shared with the native peoples when the time came. None of it had been easy. The wolves had not wanted to leave the country, but had needed the space. The natives had not wanted to trust more pale-faced people, but wolves they believed they could trust.

He stopped at a light and let his mind wander further. He wondered if she had kept her hair long. Over the years Aki had adjusted her look to fit with the times. He'd especially loved the seventies with its long hair and love of natural things, though he preferred the more traditional clothes. The sixties had been quite harrowing he dragged her on a tour of Europe and because many parts of that continent was experiencing a certain type of revolution, the clothes became far more revealing than he was comfortable with. Not on him of course but on her. He never wanted another male to see that much of her perfect skin. She'd just laughed at him and danced some more with their son.

The car behind him honked at him. The light was green and he made a left, resolving to get there before dissolving in memory again. He pulled up to her building and turned off his car.

Tuck had to wonder why she always seemed to get an apartment. She could afford a house, hell a mansion, but always it was an apartment. Perhaps she liked the atmosphere of being separate but together, alone but not. For he doubted she'd allowed anyone to distract her as she protected her family this time around.

Tuck climbed the stair, his hard soled shoes tapping lightly on the bare steps. The light glowing warm and bright devoid of flickers and instincts indicated this was a good building, kept in perfect repair by its management. Distantly he heard a knocking as he opened the door to her floor. The hallway was carpeted and muffled his footsteps as he approached the smell of food and the repeated knocking.

Glancing up, Tuck saw someone he hadn't expected to see holding a tray of food outside a firmly closed door. Haku turned to him with surprise, his bare feet barely shifting as he greeted the man who happened to be his father this time around.

The boy's bright red hair stuck out in all directions, ever untamable, though he suspected it was made especially so this night due to it's being slept on. Haku socked a half smile his way; "She wouldn't let me move in, but couldn't stop me from taking the place down the hall."

Tuck shook his head, "Why didn't she just leave then?" he asked. When Aki didn't want to be found and someone got too close she moved on, usually.

"I wasn't the one who gave her baby away without permission," Haku snorted. "She kept in touch with Data you know. Never let him go a day when he didn't hear from her."

Tuck blinked mildly at the phoenix that had never been particularly good with tact, especially when it came to conversation between them. To be honest, he had never truly thought of it that way. He really hadn't discussed it with Aki before bringing it up with Mouse.

"She would have accepted the hardship you know," Haku declared. "She would have accepted it with a smile. She saw nothing wrong with him maturing so slowly; she wasn't worried about getting tired or getting ill. She wouldn't have allowed it to happen. You know Aki, she would have rose to the challenge for him like she did for all of us."

"I know," Tuck answered tiredly. "I did not want her to have to do that."

"But you did not give her the choice," Haku glared at him.

"The past is past," Tuck shook his head. "What is this here?"

"She hasn't eaten today," Haku grumbled.

"And you try to tempt her with Spaghettio's?" Tuck sounded incredulous.

"Not all of us happen to be four star chefs," the boy grumbled.

"I doubt it matters," Tuck patted the phoenix on the shoulder. "She tends not to eat much when she's tired. Let her rest and her appetite will return."

Haku gave him a weird look but shrugged it off and returned down the hall to his own apartment with the tray of cooling spaghettio's.

Tuck shook his head before turning to face the door alone. He didn't bother to knock, if Aki were up to opening it herself she would have done so already, not wanting to hurt the feelings of her son.

He found the door unlocked and let himself in. After removing his shoes, he crept carefully through the small apartment enshrouded in shadows. The sun was setting and no lights had been turned on to combat the darkness. Tuck followed the scent that had always brought him so much comfort and protected his sanity on more than one occasion. It lead into the total darkness of her bedroom.

He removed his jacket and set it over the back of a chair followed by his watch and hair tie. The silver cascaded down his back with a toss and he stepped into the sanctuary of premature night in her room. His eyes adjusted quickly and he prowled forward once again after spying her curled up in the middle of the full size bed.

Her hair curled around her in its lengthy unrestrained glory and her knees tucked up under her chin comfortably, her breathing even and easy. Carefully he moved her hair out of his way and wrapped his arms about her as he used to do.

She was thinner than he remembered her being after their last son and she did not relax into his arms as he desired but she was there and it was a start. With a smile he remembered the first time he'd had to coax words from her and the mark he'd been allowed to make.

"Been to visit your 'Sky animals' lately?" Tuck asked her softly.

"No fair bringing that up," she grumbled tiredly. Over the years whenever they had seriously argued or she had been seriously shaken about something, they always went back to her animals in the sky.

"I visited with them today," he told her with a smile.

"Oh, here it comes," Aki muttered, smiling despite herself.

"I was asking them how I might apologize for forgetting something I was taught so very long ago," he continued.

Aki turned over to face him, "And?"

"They simply told me not to do it again," he shrugged. "They really weren't very helpful. Normally they're so much better at it." Tuck frowned playfully. "So I decided I would simply have to tell you that while I may become more senile in my increasing years." Here she scoffed at him knowing he wasn't really being serious now because he always protested any comment about his age. "Though I can forget the most incredibly impossible of things, I will always remember Aki." He grinned ruefully at her; "I may even need her around to remember things for me and to keep me in shape. I have grown fat without you around."

"Oh please if either one of us gets fat, it'll be me," Aki laughed.

"Only with help of course," Tuck smirked. "Would you like some? I could go for another one."

"Sesshoumaru," Aki started tiredly.

"May I mark you?" He asked in a tender whisper.

With a shake of her head she asked the same question she always did, "Why?"

"Because this Sesshoumaru never wishes to be without Aki," he replied. Always he replied with a different answer. He hoped he would eventually give the right answer to convince her to let him give her that final mark. The one that would tie him to her and her to him for the rest of their lives. "It hurts when you are gone," he added. "Besides, we need to have a united front when Inuyasha and Kagome get back, they'll need a good example."

That last part was just a joke, she knew, but the first part had been very real, as had all the rest of his answers. Each was just as sincere and just as well thought out. It made her wonder how much time he spent thinking about the question over and over again. "You're incorrigible," she declared affectionately. Truth be told, she hurt without him too. Perhaps this once it was okay to believe in forever. They'd lasted five hundred years even with their brief little spats and the few that were not so brief as well. They'd remained true to each other without fail.

"May I mark you?" he simply asked again with a smile.

She smiled back at him, "Maybe tomorrow. I'm no good for anything without at least that much sleep."

With a surprised and happy chuckle he cuddled her close and smiled his way into the special world where only they and those invited could play. It was wonderful to return there when the key had been lost for so many years before. It was a dream of the past, a dream of the future and a dream eternally shared between them. Maybe now he could convince her to go visit that old tree in reality…


End file.
